


The Art of Seduction

by NinPotato



Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Anal Sex, Angst with a Happy Ending, Aphrodisiacs, Armitage Hux Needs A Hug, Assassination Attempt(s), Bisexual Kylo Ren, Bottom Armitage Hux, Brendol Hux's A+ Parenting, Canon-Typical Violence, Fluff and Humor, Inappropriate Use of the Force, Keeping him close, Kylo decides seduction is the best way to stop assassination attempts, M/M, Mildly Dubious Consent, Minor Character Death, Oral Sex, Post-Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Power Dynamics, Praise Kink, Space monsters, Tagged for future chapters, Top Kylo Ren, Touch-Starved Armitage Hux, Virgin Hux, Virgin Kylo Ren, chapter-specific warnings provided, hux is very confused, kylo's pretty much an internet celebrity, the entire finalizer ships it, to kill or be held?
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-21
Updated: 2019-02-26
Packaged: 2019-05-26 14:28:34
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 32,417
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15002819
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NinPotato/pseuds/NinPotato
Summary: “With your infallible strategies and technological expertise, and with my mastery of the force and battle prowess…”The general laughed. It was a harsh, forced sound. It was also closer to what Kylo would have expected from him, completely unlike the unrestrained, natural laughter from earlier. He looked to have come to a realization as he glared at Kylo with contempt.“What?” Kylo asked warily.“I see now,” the general stood as he spoke. “You are proposing we ‘start anew’ based on the presumption that, despite the many altercations borne of them, our differences are complementary.”Kylo nodded slowly, worried about the meaning behind his tone.He watched quietly as the other man stepped towards him, stopping only when there was no more than a few inches between them: uncomfortably close.“Somehow,” the general continued, looking up at him with a knowing, sly grin. “I get the feeling that’s not the only reason you’re suddenly acting so cordial.”





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is my first canon-verse fic! Might update a bit slowly while I work on my other Kylux fic.
> 
> Chapter-Specific Warnings (* = more detail in end notes):  
> Decapitation  
> *An explicitly non-consensual kiss

Kylo knew the general was out for his blood.

The animosity general Hux exuded whenever the two found themselves breathing the same air did not cease to exist with the removal of Snoke’s careful influence. If anything, it had intensified after Kylo’s sudden ascension to the throne. Everything from that calculating stare to the frequent sneers, deliberate repetition of Kylo’s orders, and the “ _Yes, Supreme Leader_ ” spoken like a curse betrayed the General’s hostility and unwillingness to accept his new superior.

It was unfortunate, really. Expected, but unfortunate nonetheless. General Hux was an irreplaceable asset to the First Order. With FN-2187’s betrayal, his stormtrooper conditioning program had come into question, but he was still an exceptional strategist.

Kylo wasn’t personally fond of First Order propaganda, but he had to admit that the general also had a gift for inspiring troopers and petty officers alike with his passionate speeches, such as the one delivered to their forces on Starkiller Base.

Another unfortunate incident, that was. Preventable even, if maybe Kylo had thought to pay more attention to their future traitor after the elimination of Lor San Tekka. Oh, how his blood boiled at the thought of a _stormtrooper_ being the key to Starkiller’s destruction. It was an unbelievable farce, but not quite so humiliating as the recent attack on Crait.

Everyone had seen him down on the surface alone, fighting the _illusion_ of Skywalker while the remnants of the resistance escaped the old base unharmed - including General Unimpressed.

The look of disappointment - and maybe even secondhand embarrassment - he’d gotten from the general before it was replaced by the more typical scowl was somehow worse than everything else combined. The knowledge that attacking the general again so soon would do nothing to benefit his already sour reputation had stayed his hand, but his patience was wearing thin. Since that whole fiasco a month ago, that ginger asshole had made no less than five attempts on his life.

 _Or six_ , Kylo considered as he frowned down at the seemingly unchanged yet still suspicious meal before him. He had just sat down to eat in his old quarters on the _Finalizer_ , a necessity while the _Supremacy_ was undergoing repairs, when he received a message flagged as an emergency. He had immediately made his way to the reactor engineering control deck as requested.

Once he had arrived, he was informed that it had been a false alarm. Though it had supposedly been an emergency and he was the Supreme Leader, it was odd that his presence had been requested at all. Those engineers were trained to handle any and all complications with the core reactor; no one knew its functions better. In the event of something going awry in a way they couldn’t handle, it made no sense to call in the Supreme Leader rather than someone with more knowledge of power generators and tech malfunctions.

Kylo had made those grievances known, and then he had made a quick example of the engineer who reported the false emergency, sending her careening over the the side of the control deck to her presumed death approximately eight stories down.

He didn’t bother to look.

As much a result of Kylo's annoyance at being interrupted before his first meal in eighteen hours, it was a demonstration of what would happen were his time wasted again.

So he had returned to his quarters, eager to gorge himself on the expensive Onahk meat he had imported from Osirrag. As he was spearing a cut, he noticed a small drop of liquid on his tray. It was clear and altogether inconspicuous, but it definitely hadn’t been there before.

Either someone had broken in to surprise the new Supreme Leader by adding a bit of sauce to his meal, or someone was trying to poison him. Kylo would bet his life’s earnings on the latter.

Equally furious at the ruined meal as he was at the thought of being poisoned, Kylo stood, flipping the table and everything upon it upside-down. The sound of everything clattering onto the floor might have been somewhat satisfying if he wasn’t so hungry.

He had half the mind to stalk back to the cafeteria to request the same meal again as well as to inquire as to when poison was added to the menu, and by who - tempting yet pointless. He could never get any names or identification. The cafeteria droids would have no answers. There would be no record of anyone entering his quarters between the time he left and the time he returned. No one ever knew anything and there was never any evidence left behind.

That was how he knew it was general Hux every time.

While he certainly wasn’t going around disabling safety features and poisoning food personally, the general was known to have several lackeys - tech engineers and assassins alike - who fulfilled his every request. But again, no one knew who they were. Regardless, Kylo was sure that every officer, trooper, and enlisted onboard the ship was aware that the general was actively trying to kill him. Some of them may have even encouraged it, delighted by the idea. After all, Kylo was still an outcast; something to be feared and distrusted.

General Hux, on the other hand, was one of them. He was always one of them, likely born and raised on a destroyer just like the _Finalizer_. Many of the officers were. While Kylo was off following Snoke’s orders and chasing Skywalker on his own time, the general was earning victory after victory, proving himself an effective leader. He wasn’t always successful in Snoke’s eyes, but he never disappointed the Order. Kylo, on the other hand, was punished time and time again for his failures. He couldn’t truly please Snoke no matter how hard he tried. The rest of the Order had only seen their new Supreme Leader embarrass himself.

Kylo had to prove himself worthy of his new position. His destiny was to rule the galaxy, not to merely hang back and watch from the shadows, Supreme Leader only in name. It wouldn’t be easy with the general constantly holding a blade to his throat. Kylo couldn’t kill him, though - not without serious repercussions.

No, he was much too important to the First Order.

Each attempt on Kylo’s life came closer to success - his chances of boosting his reputation quick enough to mean anything were slim to none, and he certainly wasn’t going to try bribing Hux or mind-tricking him - no matter how tempting the latter was. If it failed - and it probably would - Kylo would be in much deeper shit than he already was. That left him with just one option.

_Seduction._

Kylo felt sick just thinking about it. It sounded like something a petty officer would do to their superior from underneath a desk during the late shift.

It was more than just beneath him: it was degrading. It was something that could be used as blackmail; something to embarrass him even further, and he had no doubt that Hux would use it in such a way.

Besides, Kylo had very little experience in that sort of endeavor, having gone no further than a few chaste kisses shared with one of the other students at Skywalker’s Jedi temple. A girl two years his senior, she had refused to join the Knights of Ren, and so she was killed like all the rest. He didn’t regret it.

And then there was the question of the general’s sexuality. Kylo himself wasn’t sure if he could be attracted to males, and there were no sure indicators of the general’s own proclivities. He could look into his history of course, but it was very unlikely the report would be so thorough.

Frustrated, Kylo ran both hands through his hair, hissing in discomfort when one of his fingers snagged on a few tangled strands. He desperately needed to wash it. But he needed food and sleep even more. Apparently, his body was being affected by the stress just as much as his mind was. If he didn’t do something about the situation soon, no matter how unsavory, he may very well perish without the general so much as lifting a finger.

 

\---

 

Kylo almost couldn’t believe what he was doing, pointer finger hovering over the “submit” button on his datapad. If he pressed it, his personal problems - broken down into their most basic components and completely anonymized as they were - would be available for anyone and everyone to read. Well, for anyone and everyone subscribed to the TAOS group, that was.

After he’d taken a much-needed shower and had a quick breakfast that day, Kylo had decided that he needed some kind of advice before he initiated anything. Snoke had been the only person he would have ever considered asking for it, so something anonymous would have to do. Kylo had heard rumors of there being numerous online communities comprised of countless officers and enlisted who would exchange advice for all sorts of situations, and so he had run back and forth all over the ship in search of unsuspecting, lone officers from which he could extract information.

His regular datapad didn’t have access to many of the channels reserved for First Order personnel, but that was easily resolved with the right credentials and passcodes, both of which he extracted as well. Once he felt he had enough info and was reasonably sure that none of the officers would remember being verbally - and in some cases physically - assaulted by the new Supreme Leader, he rushed back to his quarters.

It took a few tries to enter the codes correctly, but he soon had full access to the _Finalizer’s_ intranet. He needed to dig in pretty deep to find the group he was looking for, which was to be expected what with the nature of it. Despite everyone using pseudonyms, many were sharing potentially incriminating information from registered datapads.

They were lucky the _Finalizer’s_ central database didn’t have an automatic filtering system. Kylo briefly considered requesting one be added once he was certain he no longer needed to watch his own back at every waking moment.

He took a deep breath, checking the text fields one last time for any errors before tapping “submit.” He received a notification that it had been submitted, as well as a question: “Would you like replies to be automatically delivered to your inbox?”

He hesitated just a second before pressing “Yes.”

Then there was nothing to do but wait.

Kylo stood from his desk, taking the datapad with him. He set it carefully on his nightstand before lying in bed - on his back, staring at the ceiling and silently willing time to pass more quickly. After what felt like hours, his datapad chimed. He reached for it perhaps a bit too eagerly, knocking it off the nightstand and onto the floor.

“Shit.”

He clambered out of bed to retrieve it, switching it on to see a single message in his inbox.

_[14:00]General A. Hux: I haven’t seen you on the bridge in some time now. Are you feeling ill, perhaps?_

It was just text, but Kylo could almost hear Hux taunting him. To anyone else, those words would have seemed perfectly innocent. _Polite,_ even. Kylo wasn’t anyone else, and he could see the derisive sneer the bastard would have given him if he had expressed his _false concern_ aloud. The distance he would go to wear on Kylo’s nerves, even after Kylo had shown him his place, was astounding.

He wanted to reply. Preferably with something scathing, something that matched the general’s tone. He wanted Hux to know he was feeling great, that the assassination attempt had failed yet again, that it would _always_ fail.

He entered and deleted four separate messages, none of them quite conveying the depth of his fury before relenting, hurling his datapad at the wall with all of the strength he could muster. It bounced right off the durasteel wall and clattered to the floor, appearing wholly unharmed. This infuriated him further, and he reached for the lightsaber at his belt as he moved to the door in a few angry, long strides.

He had just punched the button to open it when he heard his datapad chime again.

Kylo growled from where he stood in the doorway, pulling the datapad towards him with his left hand and angrily switching it on again.

_[14:17]Ambrosia13: Well you don’t hear something like that every day - it’s normally the other way around. Pray tell, why are you so intent on seducing this lesser officer if you hate them so? They have dirt on you?_

_[Reply From TAOS Subject #43669: Tips for seducing mutually hated individual?]_

Before Kylo had enough time to process that he was reading a reply to his earlier message and not another message from the General, another message appeared in his inbox.

_[14:17]KessSpi: You’re their superior? We don’t have many like you here. Not that admit it, at least. You seem sincere though. welcome!_

Kylo stepped back inside his quarters and re-fastened his lightsaber to his belt before moving back to the bed.

He’d been starting to think that no one would even read his message, but two people had responded within just twenty minutes. Rather than responding immediately, he watched as replies continued to appear.

_[14:19 - Reply to User Ambrosia13]Skrelleven: Yeah, sounds like blackmail. Must be pretty bad if this is the only option?_

_[14:20 - Reply to User Ambrosia13] Wookielumps: Usually you’d see a post from the lesser officer asking about what to do with the dirt. This could be good_

_[14:22 - Reply to Users Skrelleven, Wookielumps]Ambrosia13: Maybe. Let’s wait for them to respond first._

 

\---

 

Kylo was on his way to a private meeting with Captain Peavey, datapad in hand. He’d taken to bringing it along with him wherever he went as he finally had a reason to with the frequency and volume of the messages he was receiving.

It chimed once, then twice. It chimed another four times in rapid succession before Kylo switched it on as he continued walking, unconcerned about the possibility of running into someone as everyone dispersed in his presence like their lives depended on it.

_[08:28] Ambrosia13: Are you sure you want to do that now? It sounds a bit risky, rushing it like that. Maybe you should wait a bit - give them some time?_

[Sent at 08:28]KOR: No. I’ve waited long enough. If I don’t get things moving soon, it’ll be too late.

_[08:28] 69Rathtars: Good luck!_

_[08:28] Wookielumps: Let us know if it works._

Kylo was so busy typing his response that he failed to see that someone was heading directly towards him, colliding right into them and dropping his datapad - or two datapads, somehow - onto the ground.

“ _Excuse me!_ What do you-”

Kylo was suddenly standing before general Hux himself, who looked just as surprised as Kylo felt. That would explain the second datapad.

In somewhat of a hurry, Kylo ignored him, reaching for his datapad instead. Surprisingly, the general did just the same, likely in as much of a hurry as Kylo was.

Kylo wiped the screen as he stood straight again, preparing to leave without a word as he switched it on.

There were more than fifty-seven messages. That was not his datapad.

“That’s mine!”

“Give me that!”

Kylo meant to tear his datapad out of the general’s grip, but he ended up pulling the man himself over as well. They each scrabbled for the correct datapad - Hux dropping his again as soon as he had it, thanks to the unfortunate timing of Kylo’s datapad returning to his own hands - it too fell to the ground once again as Kylo lost focus for a brief moment, annoyed and desperate to arrive somewhere on time for once.

“You’ve got to be kidding me.” Kylo muttered as he stooped down to pick it up again. His mistake that time was, once again, not paying attention to anything but his datapad.

Kylo headbutted the general so hard he saw stars.

He flinched back, dropping his datapad for the _third fucking time_ and pressed a hand against his forehead as if that would soothe the pain somehow. Hux's hand was covering his slowly bleeding nose, though he managed to keep ahold of his datapad.

“Do you not have the common sense to watch where you’re going, Ren?!” he demanded, his voice sounding a bit distorted through his hand.

“Do you?” Kylo retorted, agitated by the way he’d been called _Ren_ and not _Supreme Leader_. A quick look at _his_ datapad, once he had a solid grip on it again, revealed that it was 08:33. He was already three minutes late. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I have somewhere to be.”

“As do I,” said Hux, shooting a glare over his hand before hurrying off in the direction Kylo had just come from.

Thankfully, Captain Peavey’s office wasn’t far. Kylo was no more than six minutes late before he announced his presence and was ushered inside. He waited for Peavey to lock the doors before speaking.

“I trust you’ve read over everything I sent you earlier?”

“Yes, but Supreme Leader, I don’t think-”

“What you think about it isn’t important. I need this all to happen _today_ , before 17:00.”

“No disrespect, sir, but I simply don’t think that’s possible.” Peavey admitted.

“You’re only making that more likely by delaying!” Kylo shouted, causing Peavey to take a single nervous step back. “Listen, captain. I know how much you hate general Hux...” Peavey opened his mouth again, but Kylo silenced him with a raised hand and continued. “...and you know very well what he’s capable of. If for some reason this plan fails - and it won’t, I spent hours accounting for every possible mishap - no one will be able to trace anything back to you. I’ll simply have to try again, with or without you.”

“You’re certain no one will know?” Peavey asked with a glimmer of something wicked in his eyes. “Hux won’t get out of it? He’s awfully crafty.”

“No,” Kylo assured him. “He won’t.”

Kylo spent the remaining fifteen minutes of their secret meeting ensuring that Peavey and his underlings would follow every instruction exactly as it was listed in the lengthy message he had sent Peavey that morning.

Though the captain had never spoken so aloud, Kylo had caught wind of his disrespect for the general from his thoughts before. The knowledge that the senior Hux had been killed by his son was surprisingly widespread, and Captain Peavey, having served in the Imperial fleet decades ago, had known the man quite well. He was also the general’s second-in-command, temporarily taking his place whenever the former was called to the _Supremacy_. and thus had something to gain from the general’s execution.

Except there would be no execution - not of the general, at least.

Of all the information Kylo had provided Peavey, he had left out one important detail should the plan be successful: by the end of the day, Peavey would be dead and general Hux would be in Kylo’s debt.

Whether Hux would be grateful or simply delay his assassination plans, Kylo didn’t know. What he did know was that if everything went as planned, the general would be forced to at least consider the benefits of a truce between them. It would open up countless opportunities for Kylo to urge him towards the possibility of them actually _getting along,_ in whatever way the two could manage. He wasn’t picky - so long as the general wasn’t constantly trying to kill him, he could pretend to actually like him. Hell, he’d even suck him off from beneath the desk in the general’s office if he wanted. He’d rather choke on the Hux's cock than choke to death.

But in the best case scenario, it wouldn’t come to that.

Kylo wasn’t entirely sure of Peavey’s capabilities, but he had high hopes for the results. He was tempted to take on some of the workload himself, both because he wasn’t sure it would be done properly and because he was bored. He knew he shouldn’t - he couldn’t be linked to anything that occurred. As Peavey himself had said, Hux was crafty.

He would just have to be content with the small bit that only he could do.

 

\---

 

It was nearly 17:00.

Kylo was headed to the hangar under the guise of inspecting the new modifications to his TIE fighter. It was partially the truth: Kylo _had_ requested a few modifications, and he _was_ eager to see them, but his real reason for visiting the hangar was something else entirely.

As he sauntered in, Kylo felt the attention of nearly every individual. Those who weren’t engrossed in something important began to filter out, still uncomfortable being in the Supreme Leader’s presence. Kylo wasn’t sure if he should have been pleased with the way they feared him, or annoyed with how much they still distrusted him.

On his way to his TIE, Kylo took notice of a fuel barrel with a small red mark on its side. To anyone else, the mark would have been completely inconspicuous, if not unnoticeable in the first place. It was the mark Peavey’s man (Kylo hadn’t bothered to learn his name) had used to indicate which of the fuel barrels had a remote-activated Photonic charge V4 inside of it.

Kylo had asked that they procure the V4 specifically due to its significantly weaker blast when compared to the earlier versions. It was still plenty powerful and could easily kill anyone within range once detonated, but it wouldn’t destroy the entire hangar. It wouldn’t even destroy the conveniently-placed stack of heavy-duty crates secured to the floor just next to Kylo’s TIE, behind which Kylo planned to casually walk in order to “get a better view” of the modified fighter.

With the right timing, which they had planned to be nothing short of perfect, it would appear that the Supreme Leader was incredibly lucky to have survived the explosion intact.

Circling around his improved TIE, Kylo waited a few moments for most everyone present to move out of the charge’s range. There was no sense in losing real lives to a fake assassination plot. When the hangar was mostly empty, save for a few techs who continued working, Kylo quickly sent a secure message to Peavey.

_[16:58 D-A-T Protocol] Supreme Leader: I’m ready when you are._

_[16:58 D-A-T Protocol] Captain E. Peavey: Yes, sir. Photonic charge v2 detonating in 10, starting…_

_[16:59] Now!_

Kylo let out the breath he hadn’t known he’d been holding, taking a few small steps closer to the stack of durasteel crates. He needed to wait until...

Wait.

That message had said _Photonic charge V2, not V4._

“ _Ah, shit!”_ Kylo hissed between gritted teeth and spun back towards the fuel barrel, lifting both hands and hurling it into the air as far as he could before -

It exploded, with a force strong enough to send Kylo hurtling backwards from where he stood. He hit his head on something solid, and then everything went dark.

 

\---

 

Kylo awoke some time later with a horrible headache. His ears were ringing, but he could hear the faint yet still obnoxious beeping of various medical systems around him. Gingerly, he felt along the top of his head, sighing heavily when he found a distinctive bump.

Oh, Peavey was _so_ dead.

Kylo couldn’t even imagine how the man came to the conclusion that a V2 was in any way acceptable in that situation. Even most civilians knew that a V2 was much more volatile than a V4.

Kylo had repeated every order again and again in perfectly clear, simple words. He had made sure that both Peavey and the other man knew to use the V4, had explained that anything else wouldn’t work and would possibly endanger everyone in the vicinity. It couldn’t have been a mistake.

So was it intentional, then?

Somehow, that made even less sense. The chances of general Hux and Captain Peavey having been working together the entire time were extremely low, and if Peavey had truly been aiming to kill him, he wouldn’t have even mentioned that it was a V2. Everyone knew their Supreme Leader was a force user. Most everyone also knew that force users were especially skilled at getting themselves out of tight situations.

Peavey could have elected to say nothing, and Kylo may very well have died. The rest of the plan may have worked without Kylo there to point out its flaws. Peavey could have very well removed both the Supreme Leader and the general from the picture.

The only other explanation was that Peavey was a complete idiot.

Whatever the truth was, the rest of the plan would never succeed if Kylo remained in the med center. Slowly he sat up, entangling himself from whatever was attached to his body, certain that none of it was truly necessary, except perhaps the bacta strips taped to his arms and chest. Those he left alone.

A medical droid soon rolled over.

“Sir,” it greeted him. “You have a concussion and several mild lacerations. Vitals are normal.”

“My clothes?” Kylo asked, anxious to get moving again.

Instead of pointing him in the right direction, the droid brought his clothes over to him. It gave him the usual spiel about fluids and rest as he dressed, carefully so as to not interfere with the bacta strips too much.

Once he was fully clothed again, he checked his datapad, which had thankfully been retrieved from the hangar. Other than a few replies from TAOS members, there was just one message.

[18:06 D-A-T Protocol] Captain E. Peavey: General Hux is currently being held in section 2, block 4, cell 1b.

A cell? That was _not_ part of the plan. Peavey was meant to confront the general face-to-face, present the false evidence to him, maybe let him try to defend himself for just a moment or two, and then Kylo was to swoop in and join the general in his own defense. He would explain how he knew Hux would never make such a messy and uncoordinated attempt on his life - how there was one small but very important flaw in Peavey’s “evidence” that incriminated Peavey while exonerating Hux.

Kylo must have missed quite a bit in the hour or so he was unconscious.

It didn’t matter. Kylo didn’t care what had transpired without him - he wanted Peavey dead first and foremost.

Kylo stormed out of the med center, quickly forgetting everything the medical droid had told him. It was all common knowledge, anyways. He knew how to take care of himself.

The closer he got to the prisons, the more agitated Kylo became. If Peavey had ruined everything - if the plan had no impact on Hux - if Kylo had to kill _both_ of them, after all that work and the near-death experience he went through…

Kylo had taken the fastest route and was there in no time. He didn’t remember reaching for his lightsaber, let alone igniting it, but its red glow reflected off the durasteel walls, catching the attention of the guards and inspiring them to make way. Without any real reason to, Kylo searched through the Captain’s surface thoughts as he stomped around the corner.

_...but not anymore. Wait, is that - oh no. Nonononono...Please! Please calm down - It had to be realistic! He knows it had to - they had to believe! It could have been worse -_

Panic began to show on Peavey’s face, but Hux looked no more than a bit concerned and perhaps annoyed. Kylo was vaguely aware of Peavey’s mouth working as he stepped into the cell, but he didn’t care to hear the sounds it made.

With as wide of an arc as he could manage in the small space, Kylo cleanly separated Peavey’s head from his body. Both fell to the floor as the smell of singed flesh filled the cell. The severed head landed uncomfortably close to Kylo, and he nudged it away with the tip of his foot, disgusted.

An uncomfortable silence passed by as Kylo calmed down and the general presumably came to terms with what had just occurred. Kylo had nearly forgotten about his plan entirely until Hux finally spoke from the bench on which he sat.

“What the hell is going on?”

Kylo turned to look at him then.

“I was going to ask you the same. What happened after the explosion?”

The general’s nostrils flared, but he sounded reasonably calm as he responded.

“Captain Peavey came up to me in the middle of my meeting, spouting some nonsense about you and an explosion in the hangar. I thought him absolutely daft, but then we all received the alert, and I realized he wasn’t just making it up.” He paused, upper lip curling in disdain. “Then he accused me of being the one behind it. I laughed in his face, said that was preposterous. Lo and behold, he provided ‘indisputable evidence’ - the relocation of today’s meeting away from a room near the hangar and a security holo of what seemed to be Opan tampering with fuel barrels. He acted as both judge and jury while everyone simply _watched_.” He paused again, chest heaving.

“And?” Kylo prompted.

“And then he had half a dozen troopers escort me to this holding cell, where he left me for about half an hour before he came to gloat.” His gaze drifted to the decapitated corpse. “Now he’s in pieces.”

“So no one did anything? I mean - no one doubted his story?” Kylo asked.

The general huffed and shook his head, angry disbelief evident in his features.

Kylo was actually kind of glad his plan had worked so smoothly - well, would have worked so smoothly were it not for Peavey opting for the V2 in the end. Or perhaps it was only going so well _because_ Peavey had chosen the V2. The general didn’t seem suspicious of Kylo at all, but then again, why would he be? Kylo had nearly been killed - he had the wounds to prove it, small as they were. Would the situation have been any different if Kylo was standing before the general unscathed?

“Ah, that’s right,” said Hux. “I remember the Captain telling me that you would personally decide what was to be done with me. I assume that means you’ve seen his...evidence?”

“Yes, I’ve seen it.” Kylo answered. It wasn’t entirely false; he knew exactly what had occurred in those holos.

The general’s gaze hardened. “Have you already decided then, _Supreme Leader?_ ”

His tone was venomous, but Kylo chose not to react. He wasn’t there to start a fight.

“Yes.” Kylo gestured at Peavey’s remains. “I thought that was obvious…?”

The general merely blinked as he slowly pieced things together.

“I know it wasn’t you, General.”

“...Oh. I had thought, what with the way everyone had just gone along with it -”

That was his chance. Peavey may have steered things in a different direction, but the opportunity for Kylo to get the plan back on course was presenting itself.

“You’ve worked with those people for how long now?” Kylo strategically interjected.

“What does that have to do with anything?”

“That attack was so unlike anything you would orchestrate. For one, what was to be your coverup? An explosive planted inside an emptied, isolated container is nearly impossible to mask as anything else. Second, who could even think that you, of all people, would forget to disable the _one_ security feed that would show _everything_? Or even consider damaging your own ship in the first place?” Kylo ranted, sincerely hoping it all sounded genuine. The truth was that he’d spent at least an hour reciting it to himself in the mirror that morning.

“Exactly!” Hux agreed, unknowing. “That’s what I tried to tell them! No scheme of mine has ever been so-”

“Reckless and disorganized?”

“...Yes. Reckless and disorganized. That’s _your style,_ not mine _._ ” The general added with a smirk.

Was he insinuating something? Kylo had thought he didn’t suspect anything, but again: General Hux was not easily fooled. Perhaps he was just trying to put Kylo down, like he always was. Or trying to get a rise out of him. But if he did know…

Kylo swallowed nervously. “...Anyways, I knew something was off. Like we seem to agree, the whole thing was too reckless to not have any holes. So I went digging, while I was still in the med center.”

“I assume you found something worth finding?”

Kylo nodded, switching his datapad on to look for it, turning it around once he did so the general could see the saved, public record of a photonic charge V2 being removed from storage by one “Cap. Edrison Peavey.”

The general startled him by _snorting_ , then slapping a hand over his mouth as his shoulders trembled in barely contained laughter. He looked to have read it again two more times before he effectively gave in, dropping his hand and throwing his head back in laughter.

It didn’t sound anything like the harsh braying Kylo had once imagined, as he had rarely even seen the general with a genuine smile on his face before. It was almost...pleasant, actually. The fact that Kylo also found the saved record (which was his idea, of course) quite funny probably helped. He couldn’t hold back a grin himself.

Such an amiable atmosphere had never before existed around the two. Kylo hated to ruin it, but he needed to follow through with the rest of his plan in order for such moments to occur more frequently.

He waited for the laughter to subside before tentatively changing the subject.

“There’s...something I’ve been wanting to discuss with you, general. I suppose now is as good a time as ever.”

Hux arched an eyebrow, crossing his arms over his chest. His sudden shift from jovial to reserved was unnerving, though it really shouldn’t have been. It was the his natural state, after all. It was to be expected.

“Well. First off, I want to...apologize.” Kylo began, letting it sink in first before continuing.

Surprise flashed across the general’s face for just an instant before it was replaced by his typical stoic demeanor.

Kylo shifted his weight from one foot to the other, clasped his hands together, and lowered his head just a fraction, avoiding eye contact and making himself look vulnerable. When he had asked for advice again that morning, one of the TAOS members had said that particular sequence of actions would make the fake apology feel more sincere, claiming it had always worked for them.

“My behavior on the Supremacy and during the battle of Crait was inexcusable, so I won’t bother defending it.” Kylo shook his head, looking back at the general again - it was important that he maintain eye contact for the next part. “I know you’ve found me intolerable since the beginning. Personally, I never had any qualms about working with you. It was quite the opposite, really. I was excited for the opportunity to finally follow in my grandfather’s footsteps. Ever since the first time I heard…”

Hux opened his mouth as if to speak, but Kylo cut him off.

“Hang on, this is going somewhere. I promise.” Having already forgotten what he’d been talking about, Kylo decided he’d skip to the point. “Anyways, what I’m trying to say is that we would have made a great team if it weren’t for Snoke always pitting us against each other.”

The general’s eyebrows were drawn together. He blinked at Kylo for a moment before speaking.

“So you’re, what? Lamenting him for what could have been?”

“With your infallible strategies and technological expertise, and with my mastery of the force and battle prowess…”

The general laughed. It was a harsh, forced sound. It was also closer to what Kylo would have expected from him, completely unlike the unrestrained, natural laughter from earlier. He looked to have come to a realization as he glared at Kylo with contempt.

“What?” Kylo asked warily.

“I see now.” He stood as he spoke. “You are proposing we ‘start anew’ based on the presumption that, despite the many altercations borne of them, our differences are complementary.”

Kylo nodded slowly, worried about the meaning behind his tone.

He watched quietly as the other man stepped towards him, stopping only when there was no more than a few inches between them: uncomfortably close.

“Somehow,” The general continued, looking up at him with a knowing, sly grin. “I get the feeling that’s not the _only_ reason you’re suddenly acting so cordial.”

It took everything Kylo had to keep himself from headbutting the other man for the second time that day, but the general would probably see it as Kylo admitting his defeat. Hux may have seen through his plan, but that didn’t mean he had to give up on it just yet. There was still a chance, however small, that Kylo could gain the upper hand once again - and he knew just how to do it.

Kylo closed the short distance between them, covering the general’s mouth with his own. Hux immediately tried to lean back but Kylo leaned with him, making use of both hands. One kept a firm grip on the general’s right shoulder while the other pressed against the back of his head, effectively holding him in place.

The general made a muffled, angry sound but Kylo ignored it, tilting his head to deepen the kiss. The sound he made then was one of distress - it too was ignored. Hux shoved against Kylo’s chest with both hands then: a futile attempt at extricating himself. Kylo smirked against his lips, amused by all the pointless resistance.

Eventually, the general stopped struggling, passively allowing Kylo to continue kissing him slowly but deeply. After a moment, he surprised Kylo by sucking his lower lip into his mouth -

But then he bit it. _Hard._

Kylo finally released him. He felt his lip, checking for damage. Sure enough, there were a few small cuts - most of them relatively shallow but stinging.

Hux took several frantic steps back until his knees hit the bench, causing him to lose balance and fall back onto it.

“What. The _fuck_ was that?!”

“A kiss.” Kylo stated matter-of-factly.

“You know that’s not what I meant!” The general sputtered, face blotchy and red. He was panting, wiping his mouth on his sleeve, and his hair was in total disarray. Something stirred within Kylo at the knowledge that he had managed to make the normally calm and put-together ginger asshole look so thoroughly disheveled.

“I thought you’d realized.” Kylo said.

“Realized _what_ , Ren?!” the general demanded, seemingly still out of breath. A few loose hairs fell into his face, and Kylo was struck by the irrational need to either comb them back or rip them out.

“Just then, when you accused me of having another reason for being _cordial._ ” Kylo answered, trying his best to ignore how much those loose hairs were annoying him.

“What are you on about now? Speak basic, for fuck’s sake!”

“The other reason - it’s that I’ve been attracted to you since we first met.” It was another lie of course, but Kylo let his eyes roam over the general’s form, really taking him in for the first time.

The general’s face grew redder the longer he looked - it was completely flushed by the time Kylo’s eyes focused on his face again. The heavy greatcoat hid too much of his body, but the general’s face was actually quite appealing when he wasn’t scowling. Maybe Kylo could be attracted to males after all.

It was a shame that attractiveness was wasted on someone with such a horrid personality.

“Attracted?” Hux asked, “as in...sexually?”

Kylo nodded, and the general’s face flushed an impossibly deeper red, so deep it would’ve made Kylo’s lightsaber appear orange in comparison.

“Snoke noticed, of course. ‘That won’t do,’ he’d said. ‘You’re already plenty distracted as is.’ That was when he gave you full control of the attack on Morrella. He knew how much I wanted it. At the time, I didn’t realize what he was doing. Now I do - and I don’t see any reason to continue as we always have, now that Snoke is long gone.” Kylo explained.

General Hux stood again, and Kylo tried not to think about how excited he was when he had thought the unfairly attractive ginger was going to reciprocate the kiss. Said ginger made for the exit, but he hesitated just a second before reaching it.

“I’ll think about it,” He muttered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun Fact: "General" no longer sounds like a real word to me. But don't worry, he won't be "The General" for much longer. My brain couldn't possibly handle it.
> 
> Warning Explanations:  
> The kiss is between Kylo and Hux, and it's extremely obvious Hux 100% does not want it. It's a distraction and just another way for Kylo to feel like he has real power over Hux. It's not meant to be romantic.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey sorry this is so late, a lot of things happened irl so this chapter sat untouched at like 75% completion for way longer than it should've.
> 
> To kinda make up for it, I also made a comic to go with this chapter. Link's in the end notes!
> 
> Chapter-specific warnings: (* = more detail in endnotes)  
> *An unnecessarily cruel use of the force
> 
> As usual, let me know if I missed something you think should be tagged!

Kylo’s slumber was interrupted by the incessant beeping of his datapad’s alert system.

He groaned, burying his head underneath a pillow: a pitifully futile attempt at dampening the piercing sound. It quickly grew impossible to ignore, and Kylo threw his covers off of him before sitting up. With bleary eyes, he reached for the datapad on his nightstand and fumbled for the ‘on’ switch.

He tapped the confirmation button and a life-sized hologram of General Hux’s upper body was projected before him.

For a moment they merely stared at each other. Kylo was beginning to wonder if he was actually still asleep when the general finally spoke.

“You’re still in bed at this hour?”

Kylo squinted wearily, trying to get his eyes to work properly.

It was entirely Hux’s fault that Kylo’s circadian rhythm was so out of order. He’d originally changed his sleeping schedule to better match the general’s as a precautionary measure, but it proved pointless; Hux didn’t carry out his own plots. It was impossible to figure out how many people he kept in his inner circle, let alone what their sleep schedules were . The only one Kylo was certain about was Opan, the general’s right-hand man, and his schedule was incredibly erratic.

“Hello? Are you awake?” Hux asked, waving a hand about to get Kylo’s attention.

“Mmm,” Kylo hummed, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

“I would say I could come back later, but I cannot. I was only passing by on my way to the bridge. I figured there was no need to waste time sending a message when I could just tell you in person.”

“You’re here right now?” Kylo asked, surprised Hux would consider stopping by—even if it was convenient. Quarters were assigned on the basis of rank, and therefore their rooms had always been located in the same sector, but Hux had never personally visited him before.

“Yes. I sent an entry request four times, but you didn’t respond. Hence this holo.”

“Oh. Okay, just— Give me just a minute.”

Kylo clambered out of bed and rushed to the door. He smacked the door panel with a bit more force than was necessary, watching impatiently as the heavy door slid open to reveal the general waiting on the other side.

Kylo gestured at the room behind him. “You can come in.”

Hux took a couple steps forward before freezing in his tracks, his eyes roaming from Kylo’s face to his...legs? He quickly looked away, his face flushed pink.

“Have you no basic decency?” Hux demanded.

Confused, Kylo looked down at himself: he was naked except for his briefs. He had completely forgotten to put a pair of pants on before he answered the door.

“I’ll be right back,” Kylo muttered.

He went back into his bedroom to retrieve a pair of loose sweatpants. As he was pulling them on, he briefly considered getting a shirt as well. The mere idea of the general being even _slightly_ distracted by his bare chest was, however, much too tempting.

It seemed to have worked: Hux’s gaze lingered there long enough for Kylo to begin anticipating another complaint, though one never came. Instead, the General cleared his throat and pulled out a datapad from the interior pockets of his greatcoat, tapping away at it as he spoke.

“We’ve gotten a report of some suspicious activity from one of our intelligence agents near Axolo 9. Nothing is confirmed, but it seems promising.” He paused, tapping away at his datapad again.

“And?” Kylo prompted.

“We’re having a meeting to discuss the possible implications of this intel starting next shift. In conference room 2347.” The general switched off his datapad and stashed it back inside his greatcoat before continuing: “It would only be appropriate for our new Supreme Leader to preside over the first real meeting we’ve had since your... _ascension_.”

Kylo blinked rapidly, half expecting Hux to disappear each time he opened his eyes again.

The general’s very presence was surprising enough, but his willing inclusion of Kylo in something he deemed important was almost unbelievable. Could Kylo’s proposal truly have been enough to spur such an abrupt change in the general’s regard for him, or was there something more? If it was really no more than a prelude to another attempt on his life, it was completely unlike any of the others.

But if it wasn’t…

“Supreme Leader?”

There it was: the first time he’d ever heard the general address him properly, without contempt. Excitement bubbled up from deep within him, but Kylo shoved it back down, kept it contained somewhere Hux wouldn’t catch it.

“I’m listening.”

The general raised an incredulous eyebrow but didn’t otherwise address the obvious lie.

“The meeting begins next shift. We will be expecting you.” With that, the general gave an uncharacteristically courteous nod before taking his leave.

 

\---

 

As he waited, seated in what he could only assume to be the chair reserved for him at the round conference table, Kylo’s excitement eventually gave way to nervousness.

During the intervening three hours between Hux’s visit and this meeting, he’d completed his morning routine and then reviewed the report he’d received shortly after his shower. It was very comprehensive; having nothing to contribute to the conversation was not at all what Kylo was afraid of.

A quick glance at his datapad revealed there was no more than a minute remaining before the meeting started—still, he was the only one present. Kylo drummed his fingers impatiently on the table, growing warier the longer he remained alone. If this was a trap, he’d have no way of predicting what was to come. He could very well be in serious danger.

Finally, General Vernonn entered the room, followed closely by General Feiton and four lower-ranking officers whose names Kylo didn’t know. He didn’t care to know them, either. General Hux trailed in after them, taking a seat next to General Feiton and directly across from Kylo. All but Hux greeted Kylo as they got themselves comfortable, but he tried not to think anything of it.

General Hux cleared his throat, looking directly at Kylo as if he expected something from him. Kylo returned his stare, waiting for some request. The others also began to stare impatiently as Kylo tried to ignore the temptation of breaking into the general’s mind for an answer to a question he refused to ask aloud. General Hux gestured in front of him with one hand: palm up and extended out towards Kylo like an invitation.

“Commence,” Kylo ordered, waving dismissively.

Satisfied, General Hux stated the problem and their goal, as was customary in these meetings. Each officer present would be given an equal amount of time to suggest possible solutions to the problem. Once they’d each had their turn, there would be a “contained debate,” which was really no more than a contest of ideas—an opportunity for the officers to show off to one another and to the Supreme Leader, who would end the debate whenever he saw fit to give his own insight and decide their plan of action.

General Hux went first, and though his ideas were as solid as usual, Kylo quickly became bored. Eventually, Hux finished and it was Vernonn’s turn. The man’s voice alone was nearly enough to put Kylo to sleep. He wouldn’t truly need to pay attention until the debate, so Kylo zoned out, allowing his thoughts to drift to his more personal plans.

Keeping his gaze trained on Vernonn as he spoke was too much effort, so he let it drift back to Hux. Amusingly, Hux didn’t seem to be paying any more attention to his colleague than Kylo. He stared right back at him with a single raised eyebrow, like he expected Kylo to be invested in Vernonn’s low droning even while he himself wasn’t.

Under the room’s harsh lighting, Hux’s skin appeared translucent. Even from the other side of the table, Kylo could see his veins through the small bit of wrist visible between the end of the general’s sleeve and the edge of his glove. It occurred to him then just how thin and frail-looking that wrist was, how easily it would break with the right amount of pressure.

Kylo wondered if the same was true for the rest of him. Was the rest of him even paler than his wrist, the only bit of skin other than his face that was ever truly exposed? He wondered about the true breadth of Hux’s shoulders without the shoulder pads he knew were included with every officer’s uniform. He wondered how much Hux actually weighed without all the heavy fabrics, if he was light enough for Kylo to…

Hux suddenly clapped his hands together, breaking Kylo from his reverie.

“Now for everyone’s favorite part,” Hux announced, gaze flitting between everyone seated at the table. “Guthrie, you had me surprised for a moment there with your suggestion that we not only send Erena to the Indomitable to first verify their lack of involvement, but to actually _infiltrate them, too?_ I was under the impression that we were all determined to get this over with as quickly and efficiently as possible! If we sit around twiddling our thumbs as she gets friendly with yet another band of drug lords, the Resistance could slip right out of our hands again!”

Kylo was having difficulty processing Hux’s words. The criticism of Guthrie’s plan went without saying, but he had never heard of the “Indomitable.” In fact, the lengthy report he’d spent hours going over had said nothing about drugs or lords. It had also said nothing about an outside group’s involvement in the Resistance’s activities on Axolo 9.

Something wasn’t quite adding up.

As Vernonn seconded Hux’s criticism—speaking of yet another organization he did not remember reading about—Kylo pulled out his datapad to make sure this Indomitable wasn’t mentioned. He scrolled through the report, confirming the distinct lack of those details as the officers continued to argue—and then he noticed it, right in the subject line.

The report was, somehow, more than a year old. It was no wonder he was so lost! Kylo peered over his datapad, catching Hux in the act of staring again before quickly averting his gaze.

Hux had set him up. Kylo had been so optimistic about Hux’s invitation and still so wary of physical attack that he had not expected the possibility of an attack on his already poor reputation. On his _pride._

Positively seething and determined not to look like a complete imbecile in front of his subordinates, Kylo entered the code which would give him access to the report’s metadata. It was not a string anyone besides the comm techs were expected to know, but he had learned it from one of the TAOS members the night before. As soon as his datpad processed the command, Kylo had the answer he needed:

[236947br - Data transfer initiated by Chief Petty Officer Unamo]

Unamo? That was unexpected. Kylo wouldn’t think the general himself would have done it of course, but Unamo was about as random a choice as any. No matter, By whom it was sent wasn’t important so long as there was someone to blame for sending the wrong information.

He closed the report before sending a short message to Unamo herself.

_Report to conference room 2347 immediately._

She didn’t need to know the reason. If Kylo told her, she might have been able to come up with a decent excuse before arriving, and that could potentially prevent Kylo from recovering his dignity. As it was, the mild concussion he’d received from yesterday’s “accident” would make a fine excuse for why he had not noticed the date of the report at first. He just needed her to hurry before everyone started expecting him to join the conversation, lest he make a fool of himself.

But he was not so lucky.

“Supreme Leader, what do you think?” asked Feiton. “Certainly you agree that this is a horrible idea! After the losses we’ve suffered so far? If the rebels have something else up their sleeves, even if it’s something small—”

“Then we’ll account for it!” Hux challenged.

“ _How_? We cannot plan for something we cannot see coming, and with those arrangements, there’s no way we _could!_ ”

Kylo had not a clue what they were arguing about and it would be some time before Unamo reached the conference room. There were a million ways things could go horribly wrong for him, and not a single clear way it could go right. To make matters worse, Hux turned to him then, making his participation inevitable.

“Well, Supreme Leader?”

Interestingly, there was no trace of amusement or satisfaction in his tone, nor was there any in his expression. Hux genuinely seemed like he expected Kylo to take his side and chastise Feiton for his lack of faith in his plan. Hux was either a superb actor or he was just so agitated that he was even more determined to embarrass Feiton than he was to embarrass Kylo.

What the hell was he supposed to do?

Kylo looked nervously between Hux and Feiton. He didn’t have the whole picture—didn’t have even a single piece of it, actually—but he did know that the argument was essentially one of caution versus recklessness. In his own experience, recklessness had often afforded rewards caution never could. However, it was true that the Resistance had delivered several heavy blows to the Order that could’ve easily been avoided had they been more cautious. Perhaps they could combine the two and be cautious in their recklessness?

“You’re both right,” Kylo declared. Feiton and Hux stared back, obviously confused. Their silence bought him more time to explain his decision as vaguely as possible without giving away his ignorance. “We’ve underestimated the Resistance since the beginning. The loss of Starkiller was not something we could have prepared for, but our other losses could have been avoided if we’d paid more attention and been more cautious.”

Feiton was obviously pleased, but Hux still seemed confused and...disappointed, maybe? Kylo looked to him then, waiting a beat before addressing him.

“However, I also believe Hux’s plan is an excellent one and that it should prove very effective if we can properly account for any mishaps along the way.”

Hux sat up straight at that, raising an eyebrow. Feiton frowned but made no comment. Everyone was looking to Kylo for the detailed explanation he unfortunately didn’t have when Unamo arrived. She stepped into the conference room with a worried expression on her face and suddenly all eyes were on her.

“You called for me, Supreme Leader?”

“Yes, come closer please.” Kylo switched his datapad on again, opening the report and turning it so Unamo could clearly see it. “What is this?”

Unamo’s eyes narrowed as she skimmed the report.

“The Axolo 9 report I sent you?”

“The date, Unamo.”

“What about it?”

Kylo sighed, annoyed with her attempt at playing dumb. “Do you not see that this report is a year old?” He gestured at the rest of the conference table with a wave of his hand. “We’re here to discuss _recent_ events, not those from a year ago!”

Unamo’s face paled and she turned to Hux, of all people, with a look of distress. Hux returned her gaze with one of annoyance; she would get no help from him.

Accepting her fate, perhaps, Unamo turned back to Kylo.

“My deepest apologies, Supreme Leader. I was certain that was the one that I had been instructed to send. Perhaps if you had noticed the date beforehand, I could have sent you the correct report before the meeting began.”

Someone coughed nervously, and there was a surprised wheeze of barely-restrained laughter. If Unamo had truly been the sole person at fault here, Kylo would have backhanded her without a second thought. However, the lower-ranking officials were terrified enough of him as it was. If he treated Unamo—someone with significant influence over her peers—with something akin to “fairness,” then he could perhaps bolster his reputation amongst them.

“It appears you’re not fully aware of what occurred yesterday,” said Kylo. “I’m sure you wouldn’t speak to me like that if you were. I had a concussion yesterday and I’m still recovering. It’s made reading a bit difficult—painful, even. Otherwise, I would have noticed the incorrect date immediately and requested the correct one.”

“Oh! M-My sincerest apologies, Supreme Leader!” Unamo sputtered. “I swear I didn’t know! N-Not about your, uh, injuries, I mean!”

Kylo raised a hand, signaling for her to stop. She complied immediately with an awkward bow that allowed her to retain some of her poise as she awaited punishment.

“At ease, Unamo. Just send me the correct report—and don’t make that mistake again.”

Unamo straightened up, relief and confusion evident in her features. She gave an affirmative nod before asking, “Is there anything else you require of me, Supreme Leader?”

“No. Return to your post.”

Unamo bowed once more before hurrying out of the conference room.

“We were also not informed of your injuries, Supreme Leader,” Vernonn said not long after she had gone. “If we had known, we would not have requested your presence. If you would like to leave now, perhaps—”

“No,” Kylo said, shaking his head. “I am recovering just fine. But now I would like to return to the matter at hand, before we were interrupted.”

Just then, Kylo’s datapad chimed with a new notification. Somehow, Unamo had managed to send him the correct report already.

“One moment, please,” Kylo requested as he opened it. The others waited patiently as he quickly skimmed through the report. He immediately recognized many of the key points that had been discussed earlier. Everything finally made sense!

Kylo switched his datapad back off, setting it down on the table. “Now that I’m up to date,” he began, “I still believe it best to combine General Hux and General Feiton’s plans. We can neither be too cautious nor too reckless in such a delicate situation. An even balance of both holds the highest chances of yielding the results we want.”

Kylo made sure he had the full attention of both Hux and Feiton before continuing: “I want the two of you to work together on drawing up a complete plan of action for every possible scenario you can imagine.”

Feiton and Hux glanced at each other with uncertainty, but Feiton then nodded an affirmation. Hux hesitated for a moment as he looked at Kylo in incomprehension, but he, too, agreed to comply with a terse “As you wish.”

“Any objections?” Kylo asked the others. They remained silent, some of them noticeably avoiding his gaze. “Then it’s settled. You’re all dismissed.”

 

\---

 

It was nearly lunchtime by the time the meeting concluded, so Kylo immediately made his way to the mess hall.

He was in no way a fan of the often bland, oddly textured “food” the droid staff served. The one time he had felt brave enough to try it, he had immediately spat it back out in disgust. Since then, he had ingredients procured from various planets and shipped to the _Finalizer_ to avoid having to choose between starvation and food that was far from appealing.

Once Kylo reached the mess hall, he strolled over to a door in the far corner where no one was seated. He knocked sharply three times, then took a couple steps back as the top half of the door opened outward to reveal a cooking droid and a complete kitchen set behind it. The cooking droids could only speak in binary for some reason, but they were proficient at following instructions precisely.

“I’ll have a Corellian habanash stir-fry. Easy on the sauce.”

The droid beeped an affirmation and went to work. Kylo watched patiently, his stomach beginning to growl as the smell of boiled meat and spicy noodles wafted through the open door. It distracted him to the point that he didn’t notice General Hux approaching.

“What is that smell?

It took all of Kylo’s self-restraint not to jump at the sound of the general’s voice suddenly so close to him. He looked to his right to see Hux standing just a couple feet away, with his own food tray in hand, wrinkling his nose in displeasure. His eyes were beginning to water.

“Corellian habanash stir-fry,” Kylo said. “ _Real food._ ”

Hux squinted at him before looking down at the gooey paste and oddly translucent vegetables he carried. “And the food normally served here isn’t real?”

“It’s disgusting. I prefer something fresh and flavorful.”

Hux actually snorted. “I forget you’re from the Core worlds sometimes. I guess it’s true you people care more about superficial things like taste and appearance than you do basic nutrition.”

It was obviously meant to be an insult, but Kylo ignored it. He found it was becoming remarkably easy to do so when it had been nearly impossible before. There was no telling what could have caused such a change, but Kylo was immensely grateful for it.

The cooking droid beeped rapidly to get Kylo’s attention as it held out the finished meal on a metal tray. Kylo accepted it before heading off to his quarters; he was never a fan of eating amongst a large number of people despite how quiet they were in the Supreme Leader’s presence. Hux followed along beside him.

“Do you need something, General?”

“As a matter of fact, yes. I wish to speak with you about the decision General Feiton and I came to earlier.”

Wait. It had barely been half an hour since the meeting had ended. How could they possibly have worked so quickly?

“You’re welcome to join me in my quarters for lunch, if you so wish. We can discuss the matter there,” Kylo offered.

“Fine.”

The rest of the walk to Kylo’s quarters was spent in total silence, save for the brief moments when Hux responded to greetings from several officials.

It wasn’t until they’d reached his quarters that Kylo remembered he had only one chair. There was really nowhere for Hux to sit but on the floor, which would be incredibly awkward—not to mention _rude._ Kylo would have to give him the chair and sit on the floor himself—still incredibly awkward, but not nearly as rude.

Hux seemed to notice their predicament almost immediately, but Kylo gently lowered himself to the floor—careful so as to not spill any of the sauce—and crossed his legs. He had balanced the tray on his legs and was just about to motion for Hux to take the chair when Hux too sat on the ground just across from him. Dumbfounded, Kylo’s words died in his throat as he watched Hux get comfortable.

Hux looked up at him and, noticing his confusion, asked, “What?”

“There’s a chair,” Kylo said as he pointed at it.

Hux stared at him like he’d grown a second head or something.

“You don’t have to sit on the floor,” Kylo said, though it was more of a question.

“The only purpose for sitting at that table—desk?—is to make use of it, no? If you’re sitting on the floor and I’m at the desk, I’ll still have to turn myself around completely to speak to you, which means I can’t eat my food.”

“Just keep your tray on your lap then?” Kylo suggested.

“Then that’s no different from this!”

“But you’d be in a chair!” Kylo insisted.

Hux groaned. “I don’t give a single bantha shit about the chair! Why are you making such a big deal out of this?”

“Because you’re my guest! You should be sitting somewhere comfortable at the very least…”

Hux scoffed. “Another one of your pointless Republic traditions, I see.”

“It’s not a tradition; it’s common courtesy! Is there really not some sort of protocol for visiting others in their own quarters here in the First Order?” Kylo asked, genuinely curious.

“Of course there’s a protocol. Was I wrong to think you paid enough attention to remember something so frequently referenced, or are you implying we should have different protocols for different situations?”

Kylo sighed. “Nevermind. Forget I said anything.”

Returning his attention to his food, Kylo cut off a bite-sized piece of the meat and eagerly shoved it into his mouth. He moaned almost involuntarily at the taste of spicy whickswap and tender draekora thigh he’d missed so dearly. It was exponentially better than it was the last time he’d had it, probably because of how much time had passed since then.

“The hells was that?” Hux asked.

“The hells was what?” Kylo asked once he’d swallowed. Not speaking with food in one’s mouth was another common courtesy—or “Core world tradition,” as Hux called it—that Kylo firmly believed in.

“That _sound_.”

This time, Kylo was the one staring at Hux like he was some odd creature invading his privacy. From the tone of his voice, it was apparent that Hux wasn’t admonishing him for enjoying his food so much. It sounded like he genuinely didn’t know what that moan was or what it was supposed to mean. Was Hux perhaps even less accustomed to... _that_ than Kylo was?

“What— You’ve never heard that before?”

“No? Should I have?”

Again, Kylo was speechless. Had Hux never watched any pornography? Never had good food before, or been around someone who had? Did the man even get pleasure from _anything_ outside of work?

Kylo shook his head to clear those thoughts before he began to pity the man who’d tried so often to have him killed. That emotion would do him no favors, and could even put him in a vulnerable position. He couldn’t let it get to him.

“It doesn’t matter. It’s just, uh...another Core world thing, I guess.”

After that, they ate mostly in silence: Kylo trying exceptionally hard not to enjoy his food too much and Hux mechanically shoveling his own into his mouth, barely chewing. Kylo was nearly finished with his, but he could no longer tolerate watching Hux eat that slop like it was a chore; something inside him was screaming for it to end.

“Stop,” Kylo said, interrupting Hux just before he took another bite.

Hux raised an eyebrow, but his spoon remained suspended just inches from his lips.

“Put that down. I want you to try some of mine.”

“What? Why all of a sudden?”

“Just—Just take one bite; it won’t kill you.” Kylo spun his fork around in the bit of noodles that was left until there was a sufficient amount wrapped around it, then stabbed the last piece of meat. He scooted closer, ensuring his tray didn’t move too much by keeping it balanced with the Force. Hux eyed him suspiciously but didn’t move away.

“Here,” Kylo offered, expecting Hux to take the fork from him. Instead, Hux actually leaned forward and bit from the fork before leaning back and chewing cautiously. Kylo remained frozen as he was, unsure how to react to the way Hux just assumed he was being spoon-fed and went with it.

Suddenly, Hux’s face turned red and his eyes began to water as he slapped a hand over his mouth.

Right, he’d probably never had anything spicy before.

“You can spit it out!” said Kylo, looking around for a napkin.

Hux squeezed his eyes shut and shook his head before tipping it back slightly and swallowing. He gasped for air, frantically fanning his open mouth like it was on fire.

“Do you need water?” Kylo asked, already standing.

 _“Yes, please,”_ Hux wheezed.

Kylo all but ran to the conservator. In the back of his mind, he knew he was being ridiculous, but he didn’t want to leave Hux back there choking. He pulled a glass to him with the Force and held it under the faucet, pressing the button to dispense the water with a bit more force than was necessary. When the cup was nearly full, he dashed back to the living area and shoved the glass into Hux’s hands before sitting across from him once more. Hux downed it with impressive speed, tilting his head nearly all the way back and gulping so much at once that Kylo could hear him swallow each time.

“Was it that bad?” Kylo asked once Hux had finished the cup.

Hux coughed once as he set the cup on the ground next to him. “How is that even edible?”

Kylo shrugged. “You get used to it.”

“I don’t think I could ever get used to that.”

“That’s fine. I’ll let you try something that isn’t spicy next time,” Kylo suggested, without thinking. He hoped Hux didn’t think he was being too _forward_. Hux regarded him curiously, but said curtly, “Now, let’s get down to business.”

“All right,” said Kylo.

“It goes without saying that Erena cannot feasibly monitor two separate organizations at the same time, no matter how brilliant a spy she is. As I said earlier, during the meeting, we wouldn’t have time for that, either. I proposed we withdraw our other spies from the Midrim and send them to Axolo 9, but Feiton thought the whole group would draw too much suspicion, so we decided it was best to have them act as Erena’s underlings. They’d simply be returning from some pointless errand to rejoin their leader at her current post.”

Kylo nodded. “Sounds simple enough.”

“A bit too simple for my tastes, actually,” Hux said. “I believe it would be worth the effort if we were to have them stage some sort of _disagreement_. One big enough to cause the group to split into two…”

Seeing where Hux was going, Kylo interrupted: “So we can move half of them to the Indomitable...”

“...and keep half of them with the Rhaskov,” Hux finished.

“That’s much better. I’m impressed you managed to come up with that so quickly,” Kylo admitted.

Hux had already been sitting perfectly straight, but he seemed to sit even straighter at the compliment. “Well. What can I say? I work fast.”

They spent the rest of their lunch break hammering out the plan’s details. The longer they went without either of them instigating some petty argument, the more Kylo realized just how true his words about them working together rang. He’d only meant to force Hux to consider the possibility of a positive relationship, to stop the frequent attacks. Whatever became of them once those attacks ended hadn’t mattered the slightest to Kylo then, but he was quickly growing...confused. He wanted the attempts on his life to stop, obviously, but did he want something else as well?

Kylo was immensely relieved when Hux announced he was leaving, unnecessary thought it was with only the two of them seated so casually on the floor. He needed time to think and plan his next move. That whole conference room debacle wouldn’t go unanswered.

Figuring it was as good a time as any, Kylo pulled out his datapad and opened the TAOS group chat. He had dozens of unread messages but couldn’t care less about whatever the other members discussed when it wasn’t relevant to him.

_[Sent at 13:04]KOR: I could use some advice right now._

_[13:04]Ambrosia13: on what??_

_[13:04 - Reply to User KOR]Wookielumps: something wrong?_

_[13:05 - Reply to User KOR]KessSpi: Oh hey, what’s up?_

_[Sent at 13:05]KOR: So things have been going ok so far, but I let my guard down today and barely managed to avoid falling into a trap and looking like a complete imbecile to a very important group of people. I’m 100% sure it was_ them _, though I can’t really prove it. Still, as their superior, I can’t just let this slide. What should I do?_

_[13:07 - Reply to User KOR]Wookielumps: You sure there’s no way to prove it? If it was really something serious you should consider at least a small punishment_

_[13:08]Ambrosia13: yeah but KOR wants this person on their side right?? They’d have to be really careful._

_[13:08 - Reply to User KOR]Ambrosia13: you said things were just ok? Not good or bad? Has anything changed in the way they’ve been acting around you that might make you doubt it was them, even a little bit?_

_[Sent at 13:08 - Reply to User Ambrosia13]KOR: Well now that you mention it, they have been acting a bit differently. I’m absolutely sure it was them, though._

_[13:09]Wookielumps: different how? We need some details_

_[13:09 - Reply to User KOR]KessSpi: If you really are sure, I know a great way to get back at them - something really embarrassing!_

_[Sent at 13:10]KOR: Tell me more._

 

\---

 

Kylo had read the instructions KessSpi sent him at least fourteen times before he felt confident enough to actually follow them. They weren’t particularly difficult once he got the hang of running the SecureLink protocol with a fake key, but the consequences of making even one mistake could cause the whole thing to backfire on him.

At first, Kylo didn’t think such a lengthy process would be worth the small satisfaction of getting his revenge, but then KessSpi had changed his mind by telling him the story of when they’d done it themselves. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d laughed so hard.

The first step had been to acquire two extra datapads, both fresh out of manufacturing and untraceable. Kylo ran the SecureLink protocol on the second of them one last time, carefully inputting the fake key so as to not alert the security system. It went through without a hitch, and then he had access to every holoprojector on the _Finalizer_ once again. Done correctly, he would have free rein over the one Hux would be using in conference room 1343 once his meeting began in just a few minutes.

On the other datapad, Kylo followed a similar process, but gained access to all of the security cameras instead of the holoprojectors. The aftermath of his little prank wouldn’t be nearly as satisfying without seeing it happen live. The general’s reaction was bound to be hilarious and he wouldn’t miss it for anything.

The chrono read 15:58. Two minutes before the meeting was to start. Kylo reached for the datapad connected to the holoprojectors to pull up the holoporn he’d oh-so-carefully selected for the occasion: appropriately titled _Starfuck 2: The Outer Rimmer._ The actors’ uncanny resemblance to himself and Hux and the sheer depravity of the acts depicted in the holo would make it near impossible for Hux to miss the message.

Kylo was surprised they even had access to those kinds of holos on the _Finalizer’s_ intranet. Tuning in to certain “recreational” channels on the holonet was one thing, but having such explicit sexual content stored on a physical console somewhere onboard the _Finalizer_ was something else altogether.

Once he had the holo ready and both datapads properly connected, Kylo brought up the security feed from the conference room. Kylo only recognized Feiton out of those present at the meeting. As it was, many faces were obscured by the angle of the security camera Kylo had accessed, but it didn’t matter who was there so long as there was an audience.

“We have received several great losses after the betrayal of FN-2187,” Hux said, a bit distorted through the connection. “After evaluating each of these losses and the overall impact of losing one of our best troopers to the Resistance, I have been led to believe we have need of a better, more efficient stormtrooper conditioning program.”

Kylo sighed. The general’s confidence was admirable, but he was incorrect in his assumption that there was an easy solution to every problem. From what Kylo knew of it, the stormtrooper conditioning program was already as effective as it was ever going to be. If they tried to strengthen it any more, the troopers were liable to break under the pressure.

“My father’s initial methods were effective,” Hux continued, “and I’m sure we can all agree that mine have been even more so.”

Annoyed by the general’s casual bragging, Kylo’s finger hovered over the “broadcast” button. He could press it at any moment to override the diagram Hux was projecting instantaneously, but he needed to wait for the right moment to get the maximum effect. He waited patiently until Hux reached for his own datapad, probably to project a different diagram, before tapping the button.

The diagram was seamlessly replaced with a three-hundred percent enlarged holo of a well-built, long-haired man performing anilingus on another leaner and incredibly vocal man. Almost immediately, one of the officers at the far end of the conference table covered his face with both hands. The others reacted a bit more slowly as their minds caught up with what their eyes were seeing. Hux, incredibly, was the last to realize what was happening.

Kylo was laughing hysterically by the time Hux finally looked up, the volume too loud for even someone as self-absorbed as him to ignore.

“Wha—”

“General! What the hells is this?”

“Is this some kind of joke? Where did you even find this?”

Flustered and somehow redder than the euphestos plant native to Axolo, Hux floundered as he tried to stop the holo or otherwise power off the holoprojector itself. Unfortunately for him, Kylo was the only one in control of that particular holoprojector. That holo would continue running until he’d had enough or until someone cut off the entire room’s power supply.

Having apparently given up, Hux threw his datapad against the wall. “Whoever is responsible for this had better stop right this instant!” he shouted at the conference table, furious gaze passing over every individual seated there. Everyone but the officer who still had his face covered looked between one another uncomfortably, each of them just as clueless as the others.

Kylo was the one caught off guard, however, when Hux turned and glared directly at the security camera. He thought he saw tears, even, but the security feed wasn’t really clear enough to tell.

“Oh? What's wrong, General? Don't like the taste of your own medicine?”

It was obvious by the way Hux continued to stare at the camera even as he stormed out of the room that he knew no one present at the meeting was responsible. Figuring there was no reason to keep the holo running while Hux wasn’t even in the room, Kylo disconnected both of the datapads.

Not even a minute later, his personal datapad chimed. Kylo clambered out of bed to retrieve it, worried that he had somehow been caught already. Thankfully, it was just another private message from KessSpi.

[16:11]KessSpi: So, how was it? Worth all the effort?

Seeing as how the holoporn prank had ended just minutes ago, they must have been asking about something else. Kylo briefly scrolled through their previous messages, but nothing stood out. A more thorough search revealed, however, that none of the messages they’d exchanged were related to anything other than the prank.

Kylo scrolled back down to stare at the most recent message. How did KessSpi know? Kylo certainly hadn’t mentioned when he would be pulling the prank. He didn’t even give them a vague timeframe, and yet, there was their message sitting in his inbox.

Perhaps he was simply thinking too much. While it seemed an unlikely coincidence at first thought, it was entirely possible that there was something to Kylo’s messages that led KessSpi to believe that he had been rushing to get things over with. Satisfied with that excuse, Kylo finally replied.

_[Sent at 16:17]KOR: It was fantastic. thanks_

_[16:17]KessSpi: Glad to hear it!_

 

\---

 

The repairs to the hangar —or rather what was left of it —were proceeding quicker than Kylo expected. Most of the hangar was still off-limits to everyone except the repair droids, but Kylo’s damaged TIE fighter was being kept in the area that was deemed structurally sound. If he was being honest with himself, Kylo was more worried about his ship than he was the hangar itself. The _Finalizer_ still had more than one functional hangar, but Kylo’s TIE fighter was one of a kind.

He could have another one manufactured, of course, but it wouldn’t be _his_ TIE. Kylo had spent too much time with that ship. He couldn’t just replace it without first trying everything he could to salvage it.

Upon inspection, Kylo was confident that a replacement was unnecessary. The weapons systems would need to be replaced, but most of the interior parts were untouched by the explosion. The worst of the damage was sustained by the outside: plenty of dents and scratches, some deep enough that the exposed cables were coming loose, and one of the wings was bent so far backwards that it hardly looked to be a wing at all. None of those things were particularly worrisome. If the repair droids couldn’t get his TIE fighter looking good as new, Kylo himself could.

Satisfied with the knowledge that the earlier explosion resulted in no real casualties, Kylo decided to call it a night. He managed to make it almost halfway back to his quarters before the temptation to check the group chat grew too strong to resist.

 _[23:27 - Reply to User Wookielumps]Ambrosia17: That makes sense...If you’re_ actually _a wookie._

_[Sent at 23:28]KOR: Wait, what? Sorry I don’t have time to catch up._

Kylo was so engrossed in everyone’s attempts at getting him up to speed on the conversation that he, for the first time ever, was caught completely off guard when he was suddenly grabbed and shoved violently against a wall.

He dropped his datapad as his hand went instinctively to the saber on his belt, but he hesitated to unclip it as his mind registered what his eyes were seeing: General Hux, eyes wild and frothing at the mouth.

“Is this how you plan to gain my favor, Ren? Humiliating me in front of my peers?” Hux snarled.

So he did know.

Kylo rolled his eyes. “A hypocrite now, are we?”

“Excuse me?”

“You did just the same this morning. Tried to,” said Kylo. He shot a quick glance at the hand gripping the front of his tunic.

“What? The only thing I tried to do this morning was _my job_!” Hux argued. Kylo didn’t believe it one bit.

“Listen, General —lying is pointless. You do realize you’re speaking to a force user, correct? I can literally read your mind.”

Hux released him slowly. “What are you talking about? I have nothing to lie about.”

Seriously? Hux had spent _years_ in the presence of both Kylo and Snoke. Surely he had realized, at some point, that his thoughts were not entirely private, so why was he adamant in denying something so obvious?

“I did not do whatever you think it is I did this morning. That’s the truth no matter what your magic tells you.”

It was then that Kylo realized he hadn’t actually checked to see if Hux had done anything wrong. What if Hux _was_ being truthful?

Kylo rerouted all of his concentration to Hux’s surface thoughts. They appeared to be full of half-baked insults and curses. Hux’s anger and annoyance were apparent, but there was nothing within them to indicate that he was lying, either.

The prank Kylo had pulled earlier had been entirely unwarranted.

“I’m sorry.” Kylo apologized.

“I don’t want an apology! You’re going to fix this by telling everyone what you did.” Hux demanded.

“You know I can’t do that,” Kylo said. Before Hux could protest, an idea presented itself. “But I can do something better.”

“Well, let’s hear it,” said Hux, crossing his arms impatiently.

Kylo shook his head.

“It’s better if I just show you. Is everyone still around?”

“Everyone’s still onboard the _Finalizer_ if that’s what you meant.”

“Then we’ll pay each of them a visit,” said Kylo as he stooped to retrieve his datapad from the ground.

“To explain the situation, yes?”

Kylo heaved an exasperated sigh.

“Just show me where to go.”

Hux directed him to sergeant Arissa’s room first, as she was closest. Once they arrived, Kylo announced his presence at the datapanel. The door was opened almost immediately by a woman with sandy-blonde hair who appeared to be close to Kylo’s age.

“Supreme Leader, what can I —”

“Nothing unusual happened in conference room 1343,” said Kylo. “The new program devised by General Hux is foolproof and you’re excited for the future.

“Nothing unusual happened in conference room 1343,” the sergeant repeated. “The new program devised by General Hux is foolproof and I’m excited for the future.”

A quick look into her mind was enough for Kylo to feel confident that the mind trick had worked correctly. As far as sergeant Arissa could remember, nothing had interrupted the general’s speech. It had simply been very short and to the point.

“That’s all,” Kylo said with a wave of his hand. The sergeant went back inside as the door slid shut again.

“That’s it?” Hux asked incredulously. “Using your authority to scare them into keeping their mouths shut? I hardly think that —”

“Did she look scared to you?” Kylo interrupted.

“I couldn’t see her face from here. I didn’t need to, what with the way she just parroted your words back at you.”

Kylo groaned.

“Alright. I’m going to do this six more times. That means you have plenty of chances to pay attention.”

“Must you be so vague?” asked Hux. “If that’s not it, then what are you doing?”

“The Force, Hux. I’m using the Force to convince them that what I’m saying is true.”

“That’s nice and all, but I still think you should just explain what happened.”

“Oh, for fucks sake. Just watch more closely next time!”

With each of the remaining officers, Kylo had the general stand next to him to ensure he didn’t miss anything. Hux wasn’t too keen on it at first, but he reluctantly agreed to comply when Kylo threatened to leave.

Every one of Kylo’s mind tricks worked without a hitch and Hux was there to see it all. Some of the officers even went so far as to praise Hux’s ideas to his face without actually knowing what those ideas were. In the end, however, Hux still didn’t seem convinced.

“What is your fucking problem?” Kylo demanded.

“Excuse me?”

“You’ve seen the Force. You’ve felt it, even, so why do you not believe me?”

Hux looked uncomfortable. He hadn’t said much after the fourth mind trick, but this silent disbelief enraged Kylo even more than his complaints for reasons Kylo himself couldn’t explain.

There had to be a way to get through the general’s thick skull. Perhaps Kylo could convince him the mind tricks had worked if he showed him one that involved more than just speaking and forgetting.

As Kylo continued walking with Hux trailing further behind, he spotted an engineer coming towards them. Kylo stopped momentarily, checking to make sure there was no one else close enough to see what was about to happen before resuming. He also took careful note of the way Hux stopped when he did instead of using the opportunity to catch up with him. Just before they passed one another, Kylo blocked the engineer with an outstretched arm.

“Sir?”

“You will climb over the railing.” Kylo instructed.

“I will climb over the railing,” the engineer repeated. Immediately, she went to do so.

“What are you doing?” Hux asked from behind, though it was unclear if he was addressing Kylo or the engineer.

“That’s at least a thirty-meter drop on the other side,” Kylo said, “Are you sure you want to do that just because I said you would?”

Kylo knew she couldn’t answer his question —he just wanted Hux to have undeniable proof of his abilities they could move on with their lives and forget the stupid prank ever happened.

The engineer was just about to swing her other leg over the top rail when Hux decided he had seen enough.

“I understand now! You can stop!”

“You will stop and return to your post,” said Kylo. The engineer froze for just a moment to repeat his instructions before climbing back down and walking away like nothing happened.

“As you can see, it’s…”

“I understand, supreme leader,” Hux interjected, respectfully lowering his gaze.

Oh.

Finally, Kylo understood. It wasn’t disbelief that made Hux silent; it was fear. So far as Kylo could remember, Hux had never truly been afraid of him. The incident in Snoke’s throne room didn’t count —everyone would be afraid in that situation, including himself. Most people would remain afraid indefinitely after something like that, but Hux returned to normal soon afterwards.

After watching Kylo nearly convince a woman to jump to her death, however, Hux seemed genuinely terrified. Kylo would have been ecstatic were it not for his plan to seduce the general. Kylo cursed himself for listening to KessSpi and their ridiculous fucking _joke_ , if it could even be called that. Nothing was funny about the situation and Kylo wasn’t sure it could be rectified. Even so, he had to try.

“Hux.”

Surprised by the informal use of his name, Hux looked up again.

“You will kiss me now,” said Kylo, leaning in like he actually expected one.

“No, I most certainly will not!” Hux announced as he backed away. He stopped only when it was obvious Kylo wasn’t going to follow.

“Huh. I guess I’m not surprised.”

“Surprised by what?” Hux asked, taking the bait.

“Surprised that it doesn’t work on you, I mean.”

“It doesn’t always work?”

“It only works on the weak-minded,” Kylo explained. “Some entire races are immune, as well as individuals who are especially strong-willed.”

Kylo could see the tension leaving Hux’s body.

“So they really won’t remember anything?” Hux asked. “It doesn’t...wear off after time, or something?”

“No, it doesn’t wear off. They’ve forgotten it and will never remember. I promise.”

Hux nodded as his shoulders slumped in relief.

“So…”

Kylo waited, but Hux didn’t continue. The silence stretched on until it was nearly unbearable. Hux obviously wanted to say something, so why wasn’t he speaking? Was there something else he was afraid of?

“What is it?” Kylo asked. He noticed then that Hux’s face was a bit red, almost like he was embarrassed. What the hell else was there to be embarrassed about?

Hux looked down at his feet again and cleared his throat.

“Is that...something people actually do?”

Kylo had not the slightest idea what Hux was talking about. He was just as confused as he was when Hux had gone silent earlier —perhaps even more so.

Instead of clarifying himself, Hux just stood there blushing and shuffling his feet while seemingly trying not to look at Kylo directly. Kylo couldn’t decide what was more annoying: the way Hux was acting, or the fact that he thought it was almost _cute_. Enough so that he wouldn’t mind seeing that side of Hux more often.

Eventually, Kylo lost any semblance of patience he had left.

“Is _what_ something people do? What are you talking about?”

“The holo,” said Hux. “The one from the meeting. That’s...a thing?”

Kylo, thinking Hux was still talking about mind tricks and wondering how they could possibly relate to holoporn, took a couple steps forward.

“You’re asking if porn is a thing?”

“No! I know what porn is, obviously,” said Hux. “I meant the actual, uh. Actions.”

“Oh! Rimming, you mean?” Another step forward.

“ _Seriously?_ That’s what it’s called?”

Kylo nodded. He was beginning to wonder if Hux was actually even less experienced in that sort of thing than he was. He didn’t particularly care how experienced Hux was, but it was much easier to imagine himself in bed with blushing virgin Hux than with the Hux from just a few minutes earlier.

“Oh,” said Hux, as Kylo continued to move closer. “Well, now that’s settled —”

“Did you like it?” Kylo asked with a smirk. He was close enough then that he could smell the pomade Hux greased his hair with.

“Wha—no!” Hux’s denial came so quickly it may as well have been an affirmation. “It’s unsanitary! I don’t see why anyone would —”

“Hey, I’m not judging. That holo just happens to be one of my favorites. Besides…” Kylo leaned in, “it’s pretty tame compared to what I’d like to do to you.”

“This conversation is over,” Hux hissed, stepping back.

Kylo couldn’t allow him to escape so easily —not when he was having so much fun. Before Hux could turn away, he grabbed him by the wrist, holding him in place. Hux opened his mouth, probably to demand Kylo release him, but was cut short when Kylo’s lips pressed against his momentarily. Unlike the day before, Hux didn’t try to escape his hold altogether. He merely turned his head away as Kylo drew back —fearing another attempt, perhaps.

Undeterred by the action, Kylo planted a kiss against Hux’s cheek instead, lingering there a bit longer than was necessary.

Hux placed both hands on Kylo’s chest as if to push against him, but there was no real force behind them: his hands simply remained there like he couldn’t decide whether to shove Kylo away or pull him in closer. Emboldened by the action, Kylo pecked him on the cheek twice more before trailing his lips over his jaw and the side of his neck, pressing several quick, dry kisses to each spot before moving on. He could have imagined it, but he thought he felt Hux grip the fabric of his tunic tightly for a split second before releasing it.

When he reached the junction between Hux’s neck and shoulder, he flicked his tongue out to lick it, testing to see how far Hux would let him go. That was the limit, it seemed, as Hux abruptly pulled Kylo’s head back, alerting him to the fact that there was suddenly a hand tangled in his hair.

Whatever Hux chose to do next —yell, shove him away, pull a blaster on him, or, at the very least, release him —Kylo would plan his next move accordingly.

Hux said nothing —no words of protest, no demand for an explanation, no retaliation. He simply stood there with his hand in Kylo’s hair, unfocused gaze moving between Kylo’s eyes and mouth.

What was he thinking?

Before Kylo could find out, however, Hux visibly flinched as he untangled himself and stepped back. This time, Kylo allowed it.

“It’s late,” Hux muttered. Without another word, he hurried off in the direction from which they had came.

Kylo quietly huffed out a laugh. “Good night, Hux.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> warning explanation: Kylo mind tricks a random unnamed character to (nearly) jump to her death just to prove a point, but Hux prevents this from happening at the last second. Nobody actually dies but Kylo is definitely still an asshole.
> 
> There's also [a comic](https://ninpotato.tumblr.com/post/178484835313/nsfw-below-the-cut-youve-been-warnedmore) (nsfw) to go along with this chapter! (Part of the reason it took me so long to finish the second chapter lol...)


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, sorry this took so long. A lot of really awful things happened irl: family deaths, health issues, friend breakups, sudden unemployment, the whole nine yards. I wanted to get this out sooner but it was incredibly difficult to find the motivation to do literally anything. The good thing about me taking forever to write this chapter is that it's now longer than the first two chapters combined! 
> 
> Also, be sure to follow me on [Tumblr](https://ninpotato.tumblr.com/) and/or [Twitter](https://twitter.com/NinPotato1) if you want faster updates and art for all of my fics [including the oneshots]! I plan on posting bits and pieces of newer, unfinished works to my blog from now on, as I did with this chapter.
> 
> Chapter-specific warnings: (* = more detail in end notes)  
> Panic attacks  
> Minor verbal/physical abuse [non kylux]  
> *Aphrodisiacs  
> *Mild & Mutually Dubious Consent  
> *Awkward First Times  
> *Sudden Memory Loss  
> *Misunderstanding-fueled Angst
> 
> *****It's very difficult to explain these warnings without spoiling a good chunk of the chapter. I highly recommend you scroll down to the end notes if you have _any_ issues with dubious consent, especially in regards to losing one's virginity. It's probably not as bad as I'm making it sound here, but I want to be careful!
> 
> As usual, let me know if I missed something you think should be tagged!

Kylo had told himself that he would not so much as turn his datapad on, let alone check his messages, for the entirety of the three-day event on Vespull.

Just a few days prior, Kylo had received a private comm from the planet’s Prime Minister inviting him and a partner to attend their annual Freedom Week celebration. Normally, he would be more than a little suspicious of such an invitation, but the Vespulli were one of the Order’s greatest allies. Located deep in wild space, they had always supported whatever government was far-reaching enough to learn of their existence. Seeing as how they were positively drowning in wealth, it made sense that their first line of defense was bribery. It was also rumored that the Vespulli controlled a massive army of pirates they could call at any point should their allies demand more of their wealth than they were willing to give.

Kylo had known Snoke to disappear for a few days around the same time every year, but he had not made the connection to Vespull until receiving the invitation himself. He knew very little about what went on during this celebration, but if Snoke himself had always abandoned everything to attend it, then it was probably not worth missing out on. As it was, the Order could also use more funding than they were receiving for the reconstruction of the _Supremacy._

Kylo wasn’t very confident that he could negotiate effectively with these people after all that had happened recently, but that was where the “partner” part came into play.

Hux was more than just well-versed in the ways of the Vespulli: he was a _scholar._ His mind was a veritable library of the Order’s dealings and relationships with all of their allies. He knew what these people wanted, what made them tick. Kylo would not even _consider_ bringing someone else along in his place.

Especially not when this could be his best chance at seducing him.

Kylo sighed and pulled his datapad out, having given up on his promise to himself before they had even reached Vespull’s surface. Though he knew Hux wasn’t at all interested in eavesdropping, he glanced over at him out of habit. Seeing that Hux was fully engrossed in his own datapad, he switched his on and opened the group chat.

The transport tilted to the side and shuddered violently all of a sudden. Hux cursed as he dropped his datapad, which slid across the floor until it bumped into Kylo’s left foot. Without looking up, Kylo floated it back in the general direction from which it came, assuming the other man’s grunt meant he had received it.

He began to grow impatient as the chat continued to load, tapping the screen a few times in rapid succession though he knew it would do nothing. Eventually, his datapad threw an error code.

[09:47]SYSTEM: Error 113-a94 NO CONNECTION

Kylo blinked at it for a minute, amazed by his own stupidity. Of course there was no connection: they were nearly thirty parsecs from the _Finalizer!_

Which meant his datapad would be no more than a useless sheet of plasteel for the entirety of the ceremony. After weeks of checking his messages every few minutes, he would have to go several days without. No friendly advice; he was completely on his own for this.

Disheartened, Kylo stashed his datapad back inside his pocket and glanced over at Hux once again. Without any type of connection to the _Finalizer’s_ intranet, what could he possibly be reading? Perhaps he had stored his reading materials on a chip first, like Kylo should have done had he been thinking properly.

The pilot announced their arrival as the transport finally touched down a few minutes later. Kylo unfastened his safety restraints in a hurry, tired of the way they constricted him just enough to border between annoying and painful. The landing ramp was lowered and his attention was immediately drawn to the sprawling, opulent white and gold palace before him. The front entrance alone looked to be close to half a kilometer wide, the columns and spirals supporting the upper levels so tall they disappeared into the clouds.

“The rest of the escort is meeting us at the front in –”

At the sound of Hux’s voice so close behind him, Kylo finally tore his eyes away from the palace. He was barely able to suppress his laughter at the sight of the other man’s grimace; Hux clearly wasn’t a fan of the sight before him.

“The rest?” Kylo asked.

“...Yes. I believe the ground transport will be unable to accompany all of us at once,” said Hux.

A booming siren of sorts sounded from just behind them then, and Kylo noticed with a start that their ride had probably been there all along. An abnormally long transport was parked in the garage just a few dozen meters from the landing site, flashing its lights and continuing to scream for their attention.

“Ah, perfect timing. Shall we?” Hux took off towards the transport at a brisk pace.

Kylo too made his way over, waving a hand above his head in hopes that the driver would see him coming and stop that horrid noise. As he grew closer, he began to wonder why Hux thought they wouldn’t all be able to fit inside. After all, it was just the two of them and a dozen troopers.

He climbed aboard after Hux, hesitating just a moment in the doorway as he looked around. Like most of the architecture he had seen so far, the interior was all white and gold with just a few silver accents here and there. Most of the space inside was open with the seats lined up against the sides and with a small glass table in the center. He plopped down onto the nearest plush seat, which turned out to be even softer than it looked. He looked back towards the door as it closed, then towards Hux in his confusion.

“Let’s see here…” Hux said, rummaging through the small conservator next to him until he found a beverage that was satisfactory.

It wasn’t until Hux made himself comfortable, sprawling out on his seat and pouring himself a glass of _Regency_ wine that Kylo understood what he had meant when he had said there “wasn’t enough space.”

“Everyone onboard?” The driver’s voice echoed from some hidden speaker.

Along with Kylo’s own, there were a few muffled affirmatives coming from the back of the transport.

“Then we’re off! Estimated time of arrival is 10:25. If you need anything, please don’t hesitate to ask,” said the driver as they pulled out of the garage.

That meant he had Hux all to himself in an enclosed space for approximately twenty minutes. That was plenty of time to prepare for the inevitable negotiations, draw out a more detailed itinerary, or just make small talk. For some reason, however, Kylo grew nervous.

It was ridiculous. Just because they were on a foreign planet outside of the First Order’s domain didn’t mean Hux was no longer his subordinate. It didn’t mean the rules had changed in any way. It didn’t mean he was in any more danger than usual, and yet he just couldn’t think of anything to say. Instead, he just...watched.

Watched as Hux continued to drink throughout the trip. Watched as he swiped the back of his hand across his mouth after he spilled a bit. Watched as his posture grew more relaxed as time went on, as he spread his legs a bit wider. Watched as he closed them again, his face turning red as he seemed to have noticed where Kylo’s attention had been.

“We have arrived,” the driver announced.

Hux all but jumped out of his seat as the door opened, dashing out with his yet unfinished drink. Kylo laughed quietly to himself at how easy it was to get Hux all flustered before he too stepped out of the transport.

“Supreme Leader. General,” said the Prime Minister, shaking both of their hands once they had reached the top of the stairs. “Welcome to Vespull!”

The Prime Minister, Havahn Kree, was a middle-aged, rotund human male with long brown hair pulled up into a ponytail. While the true native Vespulli were insectoids, most of the government officials and citizens alike were human, though it wasn’t uncommon to see a few other humanoid races here and there.

“Thank you for having us,” Kylo said with a slight bow of his head.

“Right this way,” the Prime Minister said, leading them down a hallway with a ceiling so high one could stack a dozen wampas on top of each other without reaching it. He stopped next to a young four-armed woman of some race Kylo didn’t recognize who carried a large tray in one hand with various items on it.

“Jeri,the schedules please. Oh, and she’ll take that,” he said, gesturing to the empty glass Hux still held.

“Thank you,” Hux said, holding it out towards the woman as she plucked it delicately from his fingers before placing it onto her tray, simultaneously producing two sheets of flimsiplast which she offered to the both of them.

“As I’m sure you are aware, our days here on Vespull are only fifteen hours long. We have planned the events in such a way to accommodate those accustomed to an eight-to-ten hour rest cycle. Give the schedule a look and if you require any changes, please let myself or a member of the staff know at least twenty minutes before the event in question.”

Kylo stared at the Prime Minister, brows knit. He was sure he had heard correctly, but it was a bit difficult to believe that the organizers would actually reschedule large-scale events just so he could sleep a bit longer, especially with such short notice.

“This...third day, last event, is what exactly?” Hux asked.

“Ah, the _Freitobahn_! It’s the final party, held in the grand dancehall. Do you enjoy dance, General?”

“Well. I must admit, it’s been quite some time.”

It was difficult to imagine Hux dancing, though Kylo would love to see it. It was difficult to imagine him willingly engaging in any kind of strenuous physical activity, in fact. (Sex didn’t count –Kylo probably spent more time imagining that than he should.)

“No worries, my friend. You are not obliged to attend all of the events. Everything but the feast and the _Freitonai_ performance is completely optional!”

“Understood,” said Hux.

“I’ll show you to your room now. This way, please.”

 

\---

 

“This is unacceptable. I’m calling the Prime Minister.”

“Whoa now,” Kylo said, stopping Hux in his tracks with an outstretched arm. “I really don’t think that’s necessary.”

“Well of course _you_ disagree! This is exactly what you wanted, isn’t it? I bet you even –”

“Hux. Seriously, it’s not that big of a deal. I’ll just sleep on the sofa.”

“Do you take me for a fool? Why the hell would you choose the sofa over a bed of your own, unless you had something planned?”

“Unless I –what? That doesn’t make any sense. How would I know there would only be one bed? I’m saying it’s not a big deal because it’s _not a big deal_. Yes, I know the Prime Minister said we could reschedule anything we wanted, but he was talking about the _events._ Did you not hear him when he said there would be millions of people staying here in the palace? That they always run out of rooms every year? I don’t doubt that they would heed your request, but you must think of how it would sound to them. They’re being _very_ accommodating, so we have no room to complain.”

“Yes, but…” Hux began.

“I will not go anywhere near the bedroom if that’s what you want. Like I said, I don’t mind sleeping on the sofa. It’s actually more comfortable than my bed on the _Finalizer,”_ Kylo said.

Hux looked as though he wanted to argue further, but his shoulders eventually fell as he sighed in defeat.

“Fine. You’re right; it’s too much of a hassle.”

Kylo dropped his arm and moved out of the way, allowing Hux to pass by him into the luxurious living area. He was actually surprised that Hux had not complained about them sharing a room, though it only made sense given the fact that the palace was horribly overcrowded. Thankfully, the two of them had been given the “Premium Suite” far removed from the busiest areas. The Prime Minister had also implied that they would have much the same for each event except for the _Freitobahn_ and the feast, which just so happened to be the first event of the day.

“Shall we go over the schedule then?” Kylo asked as he took a seat close to Hux on the sofa.

Hux side-eyed him but didn’t comment on his proximity.

“May as well. It seems we have just half an hour before the feast.”

“It’s a good thing we haven’t eaten, then.”

Hux hummed his agreement.

“I’m still not so sure about the...dancing. I meant it when I said it’s been a while since I’ve engaged in such a thing. But on the other hand…”

Hux turned to look at him, giving him a quick once-over. Kylo felt his face heat up a bit at the sudden attention, but he tried his best to look unaffected. Hux was the one who got embarrassed easily, not him.

“It would be a great workout,” Hux said with a shrug. “Could even be fun...if we had thought of bringing something to wear.”

Just like that, Hux had raised his hopes miles above sea level before sinking them back down to the ocean floor. It was true that Kylo had not thought of bringing an extra pair of formal clothes, but he didn’t even own anything besides his usual ensemble and a few pairs of sleeping clothes. Hux probably owned even less, probably slept in his uniform and exchanged it for a fresh one every morning.

“So you’re saying you would do it if you had something to wear?”

“I would certainly think about it,” Hux said, his attention dropping back down to the schedule in his hand.

Perhaps there was something that could be done, then. A quick glance at the chrono suggested Kylo would need to think about that later.

During the time they had left, the two of them went over the schedule twice before coming to the decision that they would not be skipping anything except (maybe) the dancing. All of the events sounded interesting enough and there didn’t seem to be much else worth doing around the palace should they skip anything. It wasn’t until a member of the staff showed up to guide them to the cafeteria that Kylo realized the schedule had made no mention of anything business-related. Was he meant to approach the Prime Minister on his own time, or…

Kylo was knocked out of his own thoughts by the sudden cacophony of millions of conversations as their guide led them into the boisterous feast. Just as everything else they had encountered so far, the cafeteria was enormous, and yet the crowds seemed almost too large to fit.

Each table was as long as an Errdine serpent and seemed to comfortably fit at least a hundred people. They were arranged closely together, leaving just enough space between them for two average-sized humanoids to pass by each other without touching. The only truly open space Kylo could see was a wide, carpeted area which bisected the room and was being used predominantly by servers both biological and droid alike. This walking space led straight to the elevated platform at the other side of the mess hall, upon which there were just a few smaller tables.

As their guide continued to lead them down this path towards the platform, they grew close enough that Kylo could see that these tables was clearly reserved for government officials. Though he recognized no one but the Prime Minister, every individual seated there exuded superiority. This could be their best (or perhaps only) chance at making a good impression –and an extra credit or two –before the end of the week.

“One moment,” said their guide, reaching a hand out in front of himself. It appeared to touch something solid though there was nothing but air in front of him. There was a _whooshing_ sound, and then he motioned for the two of them to step in front of him. Suddenly, the noise of the crowds below them ceased entirely. Kylo looked behind him, confirming that they were indeed still there –and still talking it, it seemed –but silent. Hux looked to be just as confused as he.

“Ah, there you are!” the Prime Minister called out to them, waving. “Please, have a seat.”

Just like that, all eyes were on him. While there had been a few quiet conversations when they had first arrived, the platform was now just as quiet as the floor below. Whether they were trying to intimidate him, or if their attention was meant to be a show of respect, Kylo didn’t know. He didn’t let it affect him either way.

He kept his chin up as he slowly made his way to the only two available seats at the Prime Minister’s table, choosing the one next to a blue-skinned Twi’lek woman –one of just two non-humans at the table –who gave him a respectful nod as he sat. He felt just a bit of annoyance coming from Hux as he took the other seat next to a pudgy, balding old man. The Prime Minister explained the feast in more detail than Kylo cared for (he would gladly eat everything they offered him), and then the conversations started up again.

“My name is Aayla Secura,” said the Twi’lek woman, hand extended towards him.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Kylo said, shaking her hand. “Wait…”

_Aayla Secura? The Jedi?_

Her hand began to tremble as he stared down at it in confusion. He looked up at her as she giggled, finally taking her hand back and shaking her head.

“I’m only joking! People here really used to call me that before, because of _this_ ,” she explained, gesturing vaguely at herself. “Like there’s only ever been one blue woman in the galaxy.”

“Oh…” Kylo muttered, unsure of how to respond to that.

“I’m sure you’ve seen plenty. You must have, being from...”

“Sorry, what’s your name again?” Kylo interrupted.

“Oh, how rude of me! It’s Meldora. Meldora Sokh,” she said. “Senator of the Gray district.”

Kylo was saved then by a droid beeping for their attention and gesturing at a large floating tray of food behind it. Meldora leaned back, moving her drink out of the way to make room. Kylo waited patiently, stomach rumbling as the droid placed a plate of heavenly-smelling breaded noodles in front of him. He dug in, hoping the first course would come soon after.

“What do you think these are made of–”

“Are you a particular fan of–”

Kylo stopped chewing, turning to his left then his right. It would seem that both Meldora and Hux had tried to ask him a question at the same time, and, for some reason, neither of them was continuing. Hux was glaring at Meldora like she had personally offended him. In return, she was giving him an exasperated look as she drummed her fingers impatiently on the table’s surface. Kylo swallowed his last bite and turned to her, sure that Hux would understand how important it was to pretend like he was interested in what these people had to say.

“You were saying?”

“Oh, I was just asking if you were a fan of the opera, by chance.”

“I am,” Kylo lied. “My parents would often take me to see it when I was younger.”

Technically, the second part wasn’t a complete lie. Leia had enjoyed the Chandrilan Opera and had taken him with her a few times –until he had complained about how boring it was.

Kylo spent the rest of the feast chatting with Meldora about the opera, plays, calligraphy, and all other sorts of art until the Prime Minister called for everyone’s attention. He gave a speech about the importance of the celebration, then, to Kylo’s surprise, began commending the First Order on their accomplishments. It was strange, but Kylo couldn’t resist the opportunity to preen a bit. The Prime Minister listened intently for a while, nodding his head every now and then. Kylo stopped, however, when he felt a distinct change in the atmosphere.

“If that’s all true, then…” the Prime Minister said, “surely you could have avoided such an embarrassing defeat at the hands of an _illusion._ ”

Kylo’s palms began to sweat. Being so far-removed from the rest of the galaxy, he didn’t think Vespull would know about what had happened, let alone confront him about it. He had prepared dozens of speeches in his head to inspire the Vespulli elite to invest more in the First Order, but it was beginning to look like they wouldn’t be of any use.

Suddenly, Hux stood from his chair.

“No offense, Prime Minister, but are you implying that if _you_ –or anyone else in this room –were to be in the Supreme Leader’s situation, to be confronted by a specter of your worst enemy that looked, sounded, reacted –hell, even _smelled_ exactly like the real thing –you would immediately recognize the distraction for what it was?”

The Prime Minister had looked offended when Hux had stood earlier, but now he was staring dumbly with a deep frown.

“I...No, that’s not what I–”

“It’s true,” Hux continued, “The First Order has indeed suffered more than just one or two ‘embarrassing defeats’ recently. With the exception of the Skywalker incident, however, it was our previous Supreme Leader, Snoke, who was ultimately responsible for the outcomes of his own bad decisions.”

Hux looked down at Kylo then, who was staring at him with slack-jawed amazement at his quick thinking. He seemed to be making a decision as he returned Kylo’s stare for a moment, then took a deep breath and turned back to the Prime Minister.

“Snoke was obsessed with manipulating his subordinates into going for each other’s throats, mostly for fear of being usurped. The current Supreme Leader and I are a prime example of that. After Snoke was killed by…”

Hux glanced at Kylo again.

“...an ally of the resistance, we came to see our petty quarrels for what they were. We realized just to what extent our inability to work together properly hurt our performances, both individually and as an organization. So we threw aside our differences, and now the First Order is better than ever.”

Kylo was suddenly very, very hard. He shifted his legs a bit, feeling self-conscious though he knew no one would be able to see it –not unless they deliberately looked underneath the table. He also busied himself with the remainder of his dessert and cognac, trying his best to think about anything other than the confidence in Hux’s voice as he single-handedly saved the First Order’s reputation using _Kylo’s own fucking proposal_.

“I see,” said the Prime Minister, slowly, like he didn’t really want to. “You are very sure of yourself. It is a good thing so long as you don’t overestimate too much, I suppose.”

Hux moved to sit again, but then he hesitated. Brows knit, he stared down at the table for just a second before standing upright again.

“Right, I had nearly forgotten. I apologize in advance for holding you all here for so long, but I wish to propose a new trade deal and now seems as good a time as ever.”

Kylo choked, setting his glass back onto the table with one hand and covering his mouth with the other as he coughed. Meldora timidly asked if he was alright and he nodded, but really he was afraid Hux was being much too confident. Making it out of that uncomfortable situation relatively unscathed was more than he could have asked for, but Hux was _still going?_

“A...trade deal? Now?” the Prime Minister asked, sounding just as surprised as Kylo felt.

Though they had been silent throughout this whole thing,the officials began whispering amongst one another, no doubt commenting on Hux’s boldness.

“You think you have something we want?” the woman next to the Prime Minister asked, though it sounded more like a statement than a question.

Hux smirked, wholly unconcerned with her tone of voice.

“I know you need more carborenium. It’s what your foundations are made of, correct? Otherwise, your grand palace would have collapsed in on itself by now. You need more carborenium and you need it fast, because of the housing crisis –”

“You’re selling?” The Prime Minister asked, sounding like his normal self again.

Hux dove straight into price negotiations then, effectively killing Kylo’s erection. He listened in for a bit, impressed by Hux’s ability to store so many numbers in his brain at once, but it quickly grew boring.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw some of the officials making their way down to the first floor. Seeing as how he wasn’t needed for this part, Kylo decided it was time to head back to their room –if he could find it. Thankfully, the same guide from earlier was waiting for him by the door; Kylo had him leave their guards and another guide for Hux.

 

\---

 

“We have a deal!” Hux announced as he entered the room, waking Kylo in the process.

After nearly an hour of waiting anxiously for Hux to return, he had decided to take a nap. He sat up slowly from where he lay on the sofa and stretched his arms out in front of him with a big yawn. He could easily sense Hux’s excitement from the other side of the large room; it was quickly starting to rub off on him.

“Were you sleeping?”

“Wasn’t much else to do,” said Kylo, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. “I assume it went well?”

“More than just well, Ren.”

Hux plopped himself down right next to Kylo on the sofa, so close their knees were touching. Kylo looked over at him in surprise as Hux raised both hands up in front of him, palms out.

“What?” Kylo asked, glancing between the other man’s hands and face.

“Ask me,” Hux said.

“Ask you what?”

“Ask me how much I coaxed out of them.”

“Alright...how much did you coax out of them?”

Three of the fingers on Hux’s left hand went down. After a couple seconds, they went back up again. His left hand became a fist, and then Kylo’s addled brain caught up with what was going on.

Seven...five...five...and that was it. Hux dropped his hands after just three numbers.

“Seven hundred fifty-five thousand?” Kylo asked tentatively.

Hux shook his head. It would appear he wanted to keep making him guess until he got it right. Kylo stared at him in annoyance for a moment, hoping he would get impatient and spill the details. Hux stared back, seemingly in no rush. Kylo couldn’t manage more than a minute before his curiosity and excitement overwhelmed him.

“Seven million five-hundred fifty thousand?”

Hux shook his head again. Kylo hadn’t actually thought it would be that low –not with the way Hux was acting –but he didn’t want to overestimate and get himself all hyped up for nothing.

“Seven hundred fifty-five million?”

Even as he said it, Kylo was having difficulty imagining such a massive sum of credits. He knew it wasn’t even that much by Vespulli standards, but it was still close to two hundred million more than the First Order had received gradually from the Vespulli over the past few _years._ This was all going to be handed over at once, after the carborenium (which was fortunately rather common within the First Order’s domain) was delivered.

Hux shook his head again and Kylo’s heart nearly jumped out of his chest.

“Seven. Seven billion, five-hundred fifty million?”

Hux grinned and Kylo forgot how to breathe for a moment. He racked his brain for something to say, something more than just a simple ‘thank you’ or ‘job well done’, but nothing seemed to fit the scale of what was happening. He was actually considering dropping to knees and bowing before his new _Grand Acquisition Admiral_ when he was startled by Hux’s sudden laughter.

“No, no, no. Wrong again,” he said, shaking his head once more.

_Impossible!_

“No, that’s. That can’t be right. You’re messing with me –you must be! It’s lower, isn’t it?”

“Please, Ren. I would never joke about such a thing,” Hux said, his grin vanishing. “This is monumental. If I had simply walked up to you earlier and told you outright, you wouldn’t have believed me. I would’ve spent more time convincing you it was real than the time you’ve spent guessing incorrectly.”

Kylo swallowed uncomfortably, his mouth having gone dry. If he were to be completely honest with himself, Hux really did deserve a promotion after this. There was just the problem of Hux potentially becoming too bold because of it, and of the way it would look to everyone else as it would be happening after what pretty much equated to a vacation.

“Hello, is anyone there?”

Hux waved a hand in front of his face, trying to get his attention.

“You still haven’t guessed correctly,” he said with a smug smile. The one Kylo hated, except he really didn’t. It wasn’t important either way –he was just sick of looking at it.

“You’re really– _mmph!_ ”

Whatever Hux had to say at that moment didn’t matter one bit to Kylo as he leaned forward, silencing him with his lips. Unlike the others so far, this kiss was entirely unplanned: it was as if his body itself had decided there was no other way he could express his gratitude. Hux didn’t react at first –he just sat there, letting Kylo do as he wanted. It wasn’t until after he gently brought his right hand to rest against the side of Hux’s face that Hux caught him off guard with a forceful shove.

“That’s enough,” he said.

“Right. Sorry, I got a bit too excited there.”

Kylo leaned back out of Hux’s space, allowing him the room to stand from the couch. Hux stood there for a moment, staring down at Kylo with a look of disdain. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but seemed to have changed his mind as he shook his head and walked off towards the bedroom.

Kylo really needed to stop acting on impulse.

 

\---

 

“Act one begins in fifteen minutes. I repeat: act one begins in fifteen minutes,” a booming voice announced from the intercom.

The private box that had been reserved for he and Hux was much nicer than Kylo had expected. Though the Vespulli had gone above and beyond to accommodate them since the beginning, the box was a whole new level of comfort. It was nearly a third the size of the common area in their rooms and was clearly designed by someone with a great passion for the performance arts.

The box was much closer to the stage than what he was accustomed to, hanging just a few meters above the front few rows of the auditorium. When they had first entered it, Kylo had noticed some sort of operating table near the front window. Hux had requested he not mess with something he didn’t understand so he had agreed not to touch it. That didn’t mean he couldn’t look at it, of course.

Upon further inspecting the table and the mechanisms attached to the outside of the box, he had realized that the entire thing could be moved and rotated around the auditorium to allow the occupants to see the stage from different angles. He couldn’t imagine why anyone would want to move from what was literally the best seat in the house, but the option was there. Even the furniture itself could be conveniently rearranged with just a few button presses. Kylo almost felt bad for taking the box when there were certainly others down below who would have actually made use of it.

Well, the conservator was being used if nothing else was. Hux had been delighted when he had found more of that _Regency_ wine in it a few minutes prior. Kylo didn’t really see what the appeal was; it seemed pretty basic to him.

Hux poured himself another glass before stashing the bottle back into the conservator. Ever since last night, he had been pretending Kylo didn’t exist. He would only really speak when spoken to, and it was normally no more than a few clipped words which left no room for further conversation. If asked a question, he would either pretend like he didn’t hear it or respond with a one-word answer. It was positively infuriating, but there wasn’t really anything Kylo could do about it.

He hated to admit it, but this had to have been because of that kiss.

Kylo hadn’t really been thinking clearly, what with the fact that he had just woken up to the best news he had received in a decade. He had tried to explain this to Hux that morning, but he wasn’t having any of it. Because he had acted without thinking, he had lost the opportunity to genuinely thank Hux for everything he had said at the feast. He had completely missed out on the opportunity to praise Hux for his negotiation skills. Great opportunities would continue to pass him by if Hux didn’t forgive him at least by the end of the day.

He needed to do something, and he needed to do it fast –but he couldn’t think of anything that wouldn’t further piss Hux off, so he just slumped over in his chair and quietly accepted his defeat.

Before long, the first act of the play began. Kylo couldn’t remember the name of it, but he had read the summary on a flimsipam he had been handed by the greeter at the door. It was about the life of a young woman from Pernestos, no more than a small town during the time of the play, and how she came to open her own boutique in the capitol before falling in love with the Vespulli Prince. It wasn’t the kind of story Kylo would normally be interested in, but it was said to be the best theatre performance on Vespull.

As if the movement controls of their private box weren’t impressive enough, the entire stage below them transformed during each scene change, allowing the play to continue almost seamlessly without pulling the viewer out of the story. A forest clearing became a dilapidated building in a matter of seconds as trees disappeared beneath the stage to be replaced with decaying walls. The characters were perfectly oblivious to these changes as they explored what was to them a perfectly normal environment.

Kylo actually found himself growing attached to them as the story progressed. The actors were clearly seasoned veterans and the play itself was very well-written. He could even see a bit of himself in the main character despite their obvious differences, especially because of her determination and unwillingness to blindly follow whatever path had been laid out in front of her. When her father confronted her over her “defiance”, she stood her ground even after he began shouting and hitting her. The scene that followed was easily the best so far: the emotional moment with the mother who was proud of her strong daughter and horrified by what her husband had done was powerful.

The mother had been singing to her sleeping daughter by her bedside when Kylo was distracted by the sound of glass shattering. Startled, he was halfway out of his seat when he realized Hux had dropped his glass on the floor, hand extended out in front of him like he was still holding it. He was still staring at the stage but it was like he wasn’t really _seeing it_.

“Hux?”

Concerned when he received no answer, Kylo got up from his seat and crouched next to him. Now that he was closer, he could see that his hand was trembling. He slowly reached forward and nudged his shoulder before calling his name again. There was no response.

Kylo reached out with the force, gently brushing against Hux’s mind in an attempt to read his surface thoughts. At first there was nothing, but then there was a verse from the song the mother had been singing in a voice Kylo had never heard before. He looked deeper, trying to get to the source of the memory but pulled backed out of Hux’s mind altogether when he suddenly doubled over, grabbing his head in his hands.

“Hux, what’s going on? Talk to me.”

Hux shook his head –kept shaking it, until Kylo moved to stand in front of him and forced him to look up with a hand under his chin.

“Hux. I need you to –are you crying?”

“I’m sorry,” Hux whispered, squeezing his eyes shut.

Kylo had a strong feeling that apology wasn’t meant for him. As it appeared that the play itself had caused this, it would probably do Hux some good to get away from it.

“Come with me,” he said, attempting to pull Hux to his feet.

When it seemed that wasn’t going to work either, Kylo sighed and resigned himself to facing Hux’s inevitable fury for what he was about to do. He bent over and picked him up like he would a small child, which was far from easy considering this “child” was nearly as tall as he. Hux was blessedly too distracted by whatever was going on in his mind to realize what was happening, though he did instinctively wrap his arms around Kylo’s neck to keep from falling. He stayed remarkably quiet as Kylo made for the nearest exit, so much so that Kylo may have thought he had fallen asleep had he not known any better.

“Are we leaving, sir?” one of the troopers posted outside the box asked nervously.

“No. Wait here,” Kylo ordered.

As he burst out into the empty hallway, Kylo realized he had no idea where to go. Their guide wasn’t meant to be there until a few minutes before the play ended, and he didn’t think that would be anytime soon. If he recalled correctly, there had been some kind of machine at the front entrance that dispensed datachips with holomaps of the palace for a small price. Unfortunately, the sign just on the outside of the door they had come from indicated that they were currently on the eighty-fourth floor and Kylo couldn’t remember where the elevator was.

“Let go,” Hux said.

Kylo hesitated, surprised to hear the other man’s tremulous voice.

“Hux, you’re…”

“I said let go!”

Fearing physical retaliation, Kylo did as he was told and dropped him. Hux barely managed to catch himself, but ran off down the hallway as soon as he was steady on his feet.

“Where are you going?” Kylo yelled after him.

Hux just kept running, probably without a destination in mind.

“Shit...wait for me!”

Kylo knew there had been a possibility of something going horribly wrong during this trip, but if someone had told him he would find himself chasing a confused and distraught Hux through an endless hallway for nearly fifteen minutes before bursting through a door that clearly read “Restricted Area”, he would not have believed them.

Despite priding himself on his athleticism, Kylo found it difficult to keep up with Hux as he bounded up a winding flight of stairs which led to what was probably someone’s private property. His thighs were on fire by the time he reached the top where Hux was kneeling on the ground, clearly exhausted from all that running. He took a moment to catch his breath and look around before confronting Hux about whatever the hell had just happened.

At first he thought they had somehow made it outside, but there were transparisteel walls all around them –even below them. The room they were in appeared to be some sort of enclosed balcony or viewing platform. The first thing he noticed inside was the large fountain directly in front of them which had many different colors of large, bell-shaped aquatic flowers growing out of it. It took him a minute, but Kylo recognized the statue at the top of the woman with her golden pitcher as the Vespulli princess from the play.

There were large planters in each corner of the room from which grew all manner of small trees, shrubs, and flowers. Something flew past Kylo’s face and he flinched back, internally laughing at himself when he realized it was no more than some sort of brightly-colored, harmless-looking insect. It landed on one of the bright red flowers across from him for a moment, then took off again towards Hux.

As Kylo straightened up, he saw Hux lift a hand towards the insect flying close to him. It danced around in the air, circling his hand before landing on the tip of his index finger. Hux seemed much calmer now as he pulled it in closer to inspect it.

Just as carefully as Hux was now handling the insect, Kylo approached. Hux didn’t acknowledge him in any way as he crouched down next to him: he just kept turning his hand about as the insect fluttered its green and red-gold wings, his eyes still wet with tears. It could have been minutes or hours before the insect flew away and Hux finally spoke.

“I’m fine,” he said.

“I didn’t ask.”

“Yes, but you were surely wondering.”

“I thought I was the mind reader.”

Hux turned to look at him, looking more like his normal self again. If Kylo hadn’t been with him through...whatever that was, he may not have noticed anything amiss. He probably would have believed him.

“Seriously, Ren. I’m fine,” Hux repeated, standing up. “We can return now –pretend that never happened.”

Hux turned back towards the exit, but Kylo shot to his feet and stopped him with a hand on his shoulder –Hux froze but didn’t look at him.

“You know I don’t think any less of you after that,” Kylo said. “I don’t think emotions are bad. It’s actually nice to be reminded that you too are human from time to time. I was beginning to think otherwise, especially after yesterday morning.”

Still nothing from Hux. Kylo had been looking for an opportunity to praise him for his massive success the day before, but it really didn’t seem appropriate at this time and place. Hux needed something and Kylo would gladly give it to him if he just knew _what._

“I don’t know what exactly caused all of this and I would certainly like to, but it’s none of my business if you don’t want to tell me. If you do, I would be happy to listen. We don’t need to go back if you don’t want to. We can skip the rest of the play and the opera, if you want. We could just go back to our room. You can go back yourself, get some sleep, and I’ll just find something else to keep me occupied. Whatever your need.”

Hux still wasn’t responding. Some part of Kylo wanted to pick him up and shake an answer out of him but that was hardly appropriate.

“Hux –just tell me what you need. Please?”

Hux made a noise then, so short and quiet Kylo could barely hear it. When he didn’t answer immediately, Hux did it again. It almost sounded like a quickly mumbled ‘ _Hold me_ ’, but that couldn’t be right. Could it?

“I’m sorry, I didn’t catch that. Can you repeat?” Kylo asked, leaning in closer.

Instead of repeating himself, Hux turned his head to look at him. His eyes, suddenly full of unshed tears and longing, sorrow, loneliness, and a million other emotions Kylo couldn’t name bore into his, and then he understood. He stepped forward and wrapped his arms around Hux’s middle, embracing him from behind.

Hux’s breath hitched as he leaned back into it, probably trying not to cry again. He seemed to have failed as Kylo felt a tear, then another hit his right arm and soak through the fabric of his sleeve. Hux’s hand came up to rest against his other arm and Kylo reached for it, attempting to lock their fingers together. Surprisingly enough, Hux actually let him.

They stood there in the sky garden like that for a good while, Hux’s broken sobs the only sound in the room. Kylo wasn’t sure if his presence was actually comforting or if Hux was going to regret allowing him to see such a vulnerable side of him later on. He tried not to think too hard about what this could mean or how it would affect their relationship, if at all. He just waited patiently for Hux to calm down again and, once he did, they returned to their room like nothing had happened.

Hux requested he be left alone for a little while, so Kylo went back out to explore the palace on his own. It took him quite some time, but he eventually found his way back to the same staircase from earlier. He hadn’t seen any kind of surveillance cameras before, but he hadn’t really been paying attention then. No matter who the sky garden belonged to, they would certainly be upset if they knew a couple of strangers had intruded upon it.

As he approached the staircase, scanning every inch of the area around it, he spotted a small disk floating near the ceiling above it: easily missed if you weren’t specifically looking for it. He pretended to be examining the “Restricted Area” sign on the door as he force-crushed the device which then dropped to the floor with a small _tink._ He nudged it with his foot, ensuring no component of it was still functioning before resuming his exploration.

There wasn’t much in the hallways that interested him, but Kylo wasn’t about to just walk into any of the rooms without knowing what they were. He wasn’t really up for conversation with strangers either, so he tried to avoid the more crowded areas. He was just stumbling upon one when he spied a floating table covered in all manner of brightly-colored, intricate fabrics being directed out of the crowd by an older woman.

“Excuse me!” Kylo called out as she nearly rammed him with the table.

“Oh, heavens. I’m so sorry! I didn’t see you there,” she apologized, tapping a button on the device she held to stop the table.

“What’s all this?” Kylo asked.

“Oh, this is my new _Favroeau_ line. I had hoped that the fine people here would take interest and commission me, but it would appear that _white and gold_ is in again this year. Why people are so concerned with blending into the architecture is beyond me, but I’ve–”

“So you’re a clothing merchant?” Kylo interrupted.

“Well, yes. You could say that.”

Kylo stepped closer to the table, choosing a glittery red dress near the middle and lifting it up for closer inspection. It appeared perfectly normal at first, but then he turned it a bit and it caught the overhead lights from a different angle, sparkling like a jewel. The merchant waited patiently as he looked over the rest of what was on display.

“Interested in anything?” She asked once he was finished.

“The quality is certainly to be admired. You said you took commissions?”

“Yes. I find that the second day of the festival is best as everyone’s minds are on the upcoming party. Everyone already has their outfits on hand, of course, but it’s the–”

“Is it possible to have something finished before the party tomorrow? If it’s worth the effort, of course.”

The merchant’s eyebrows shot up at that, but she quickly pulled up her datapad and checked something. She kept glancing up at Kylo as she concentrated on the screen, probably doing the math in her head.

“It certainly wouldn’t be easy, but it is _possible_ ,” she said. “It’s just a matter of whether or not you can make it ‘worth the effort.’ If I may ask, with whom am I currently speaking?”

“Kylo Ren, Supreme Leader of the First Order. Name your price.”

 

\---

 

Kylo would be lying if he said he wasn’t nervous.

He and Hux had just returned from breakfast when he had excused himself, telling Hux that he had promised earlier to speak with one of the officials in private. Hux had given him an odd look like he didn’t really believe him, but had just shrugged it off and said he would be staying inside.

Thankfully, the mind trick had worked last night, so Hux should have no clue what Kylo was planning. He really had not wanted to stoop to _that_ , but it had been the only way to escape the awful situation he had gotten himself into.

After he had made a deal with Ophelia, the merchant he had met in the hallway yesterday, he had remembered that he didn’t even know Hux’s sizes. Kylo had bought Ophelia’s patience as well after he realized that if he wanted to keep this a surprise, he would need to collect this rather personal information as discreetly as possible. He had all but ran back to the room, relieved to find that Hux was sleeping soundly.

Still, he shouldn’t have expected it to be that easy.

He couldn’t very well check the inside of Hux’s sleeping clothes while he was wearing them. He knew Hux kept at least one clean pair inside his suitcase, but the thing had a passcode _and_ a biometric lock. So he had dragged it over to Hux before carefully lifting the covers and pulling his arm out with the force. He had pressed his fingertip to the lock, cursing quietly as he screwed up and had to do it again.

He could have just entered the sizes into his datapad and returned to Ophelia. Looking back at it now, that had clearly been the best choice of action. Instead, he wasted more time than he had trying to memorize it all for _later use_ when Hux had suddenly woken to the sight of Kylo closely examining a pair of his underwear.

As to be expected, he had freaked out.

Kylo had to erase the memory. There wasn’t really anything else he could have done, or at least that’s what he told himself at the time. He was going to leave then, but there had been something else he needed to know.

“Hux,” he had said, shaking him by the shoulder to wake him up again.

“Mmm...Ren? Why are you –”

“What’s your favorite color?” Kylo had asked.

“My...what? What time is it?”

“Hux, please. It’s important. I need to know your favorite color, then I’ll leave and you can go back to sleep.”

Kylo had half expected Hux to realize what was going on and start shouting at him again as he squinted at him in the darkness, probably wondering why the hell he was being woken for something like that in the first place.

“Fine,” Hux had mumbled. “Sea green. Why?”

“Thanks. You won’t remember this.”

Out of nowhere, there was a loud _clang_ that startled Kylo out of his thoughts.

“Sorry!” the young woman apologized as she stooped to pick up the can she had dropped. “I didn’t mean to take so long, but I was having trouble finding the shade you requested. So I brought the three closest to it.”

Kylo knew he was taking another huge risk here by choosing to get himself all done up before letting Hux know that he had solved their wardrobe problem. He was hoping it would be worth it in the end, that he could make a more enticing offer by showing Hux instead of just telling him. He wasn’t really concerned about the potential waste of funds considering how much the Vespulli would soon pay them, but he was worried that he wouldn’t get to see Hux in that lovely shade of blue-green he had hand-picked for him.

He mulled over Hux’s possible reactions to seeing it as the young woman styled his hair and makeup. He could have done this all himself of course, but he had fallen out of the habit of styling his hair and had barely touched eye makeup before, the last time having been back when he was a curious preteen. He wanted to fit in as much as possible with the eccentric party-goers and yet still stand out in his own way.

“There we go! All finished.”

Kylo opened his eyes and was immediately impressed by the young woman’s work. His hair fell in waves so smooth it looked as though no product had been used at all. The eye shadow was much the same, so clean it could be mistaken for tattoos. It started as a pinkish red near the inner corners of his eyes and darkened gradually to a maroon, winged tip.

“Looks good. Is it alright if I change here?” he asked, patting the bag in his lap.

“Of course!”

Kylo was directed to a small changing room. It took him a while as it was more complicated than it seemed at first glance, but he eventually managed to get his suit on. All red and black, the front of his three-piece suit looked very nice, but was otherwise normal. The back, or rather its absence, was the key feature.

Save for the area above his shoulder blades, Kylo’s entire back and even part of his ass was bare. He didn’t entirely understand how it worked, but there was a cloth belt of sorts which held his pants up by the thin, stretchy piece of fabric that covered the crack of his ass. He was a bit nervous to go out like this despite being the one who had approved the design of it.

After a few minutes, he decided there was no room for second thoughts. He took a deep breath and left the changing room, paying what he owed and ignoring all the lingering looks he was getting. It wasn’t their interest he was trying to attract.

He arrived at he and Hux’s shared room some twenty minutes later and was pleased to find that Hux had not left the room since he had, according to the guards. He made an effort to keep the clear bag which contained Hux’s outfit behind his back, but it was too large to remain unnoticed if Hux paid any attention at all. He must certainly did as his eyes went straight to the bag after taking in Kylo’s appearance as he entered the living area.

“What is that? Where did you get that suit?” he asked, laying his datapad on the couch as Kylo approached. “What’s going on?”

“You said you would attend the party if you had something to wear.”

“I said I would consider it, yes.”

“Well, I took it upon myself to find a solution to the problem last night,” Kylo said, gesturing at himself, then at the bag he held. “You don’t have to wear it, of course, but you should at least try it on.”

He held the bag out for him to take. Hux took it somewhat begrudgingly, but his eyes lit up once he had a good look at what was inside.

“It’s a nice color at least,” he said.

“I just thought it would contrast well with your hair.”

“Hmm. Alright, I’ll try it on.”

Hux went to the fresher to change, emerging just a few minutes later. He seemed to be trying to keep his face neutral, but Kylo could see right through the facade.

“So? How is it?”

“It’s...not bad, actually. Where did you get it?” Hux asked.

“It’s a bit of a long story, but it’s actually a custom piece I ordered from a merchant I met last evening.”

Hux’s eyebrows shot up. He looked down at himself, dusting the already pristine greatcoat off with one hand.

“Well,” he said, “Thank you.”

“You’re very welcome. Now, we should probably head over to the dancehall. I don’t know how bad the foot traffic will be, and I would rather not be late.”

Kylo turned towards the door, eager to get a move on. It wasn’t until he was out in the hallway again that he realized Hux wasn’t following him. He turned back, suddenly remembering that Hux had not seen the back of him until now. He couldn’t resist chuckling a bit at the scandalized look Hux was giving him.

“Something wrong?” he teased.

“No...everything’s fine. I just wasn’t expecting to see your bare ass at,” Hux checked his chrono, “3:30 PM, in broad daylight.”

“You were expecting to see it somewhere else?”

“Oh, piss off. I thought we were in a hurry!”

Kylo couldn’t resist teasing him up until they got off the elevator. Whatever joke he had come up with then died in his throat when he saw just how many people were in front of them. If the crowds they had seen so far were bad, the ones they were seeing today were horrendous.

Though they had barely made use of them so far, they had to assign the troopers to form a tight circle of protection around them as they walked the rest of the way to the dancehall. Kylo didn’t think anyone would attack them even if they didn’t have guards, but the crowds made him severely uncomfortable nonetheless. Hux seemed to feel the same as he walked a bit closer to him than usual.

Unfortunately, they had to leave the troopers at the door, as this was the one event where the attendees were actually checked for weapons. Perhaps they had been doing so all along, and Kylo had just never noticed because he and Hux were a special case. That was fine: Kylo had no doubts in his ability to protect the two of them should something arise.

Yet again, however, Kylo had underestimated the sheer size of the event. Despite their difficulty in getting through the crowds outside, there were already thousands, maybe even _millions_ of people inside. The party hadn’t even officially started yet and people were already dancing and getting drinks. The musicians were already playing, though it seemed they were just practicing and goofing off.

“I know I said I would dance on the way here, but I’ve changed my mind,” Hux announced.

“What? Why all of a sudden?” Kylo asked, speaking louder than normal.

“I just don’t want to, alright? I’ll probably just have a few drinks and leave. Can you see the bar?”

“No, but everyone with drinks seems to be coming from that way,” Kylo said, hiding his disappointment.

He pointed to the back of the room. As he did, he was afforded a short glimpse of the corner of the bar, which seemed to sit just behind the giant chandelier hanging from the middle of the ceiling. He was just about to suggest they head over together when he was startled by a sudden blue hand on his arm.

“Ah, Supreme Leader! Good to see you again!” Meldora said, pointedly ignoring Hux’s presence.

“...I’ll be at the bar,” Hux muttered before abandoning Kylo.

It would seem he was still upset about last time.

“Likewise…” Kylo mumbled reluctantly.

“I must say, you look nothing short of spectacular. Did you do this yourself?” she asked, pointing at his face.

“No, no!” Kylo said, shaking his head. “I must admit I have very little experience with...this type of thing. I went to the salon on the west wing.”

“Ah! The Sand Jewel! They’re quite new, I believe.”

A sudden piercing noise echoed throughout the room. Meldora flinched back and Kylo instinctively clapped his hands over his ears, looking over at the band. One of its members was clambering to pick up the microphone on the ground in front of him. The band members began to laugh as he fell over himself, dropping his instrument in the process. Once he had recovered, he stepped slightly off of the platform and held the microphone up, flicking it with his forefinger twice and drawing everyone’s attention again.

“Good evening, ladies and gentlemen! As I’m sure you’re aware, the party doesn’t officially start for a few more minutes. However, we have a very special song we would like you to hear, and Oberrron,” he gestured at the taller man directly behind him, “has suggested we play it now to ensure we have time for everything else.”

Kylo really couldn’t care less. Meldora, however, seemed excited. She began boasting to him about all of the band’s accomplishments as they finished their last-second preparations –clearly a big fan of theirs. Kylo just plastered on a fake smile and nodded along, trying to come up with with a convenient excuse to leave sooner rather than later.

Kylo almost felt relief when Meldora went quiet after the music picked up, but then she offered him her arm.

“Shall we?”

Assuming he had no real say in the matter, Kylo took it.

Meldora was blessedly silent as they danced, perhaps unwilling to raise her voice enough to be heard over the music. If Kylo had known she would be his dance partner, he would have planned something else for he and Hux to do during the party. He felt like a total failure as he contemplated his recent mistakes to distract himself from the situation.

He quickly grew bored of berating himself and scanned the area around the bar for Hux as Meldora twirled, catching a glimpse of red hair through the crowd. He slowly maneuvered the two of them closer to that side of the room, careful not to obstruct the other couples in his desperate attempt to make pleading eye contact with Hux. He made it to where he knew Hux could see him, but it was difficult to look away from Meldora without it being obvious. Still, he could feel Hux’s eyes on him.

“Meldora, is that you?” someone called from nearby.

Meldora froze in her tracks, nearly causing Kylo to trip.

“Oh, it _is_ you! How are you, dear? It’s been so long since –”

“You want to catch up with her,” Kylo commanded, seizing the opportunity.

“I...I want to catch up with her,” Meldora repeated, nodding her head.

Kylo tactfully dodged the other woman’s questions about himself, insisting that there would be plenty of time to ask them later and sending both women off in a post-mind trick daze. He was just about to go find find Hux at the bar and suggest they go someplace else, but Hux found him first.

“Now that you’re finally free, can I have this dance?” Hux asked, just loudly enough to be heard clearly.

“I thought you didn’t want to dance,” Kylo shouted over the noise.

“Yes, well I do now that the music is faster,” Hux explained.

“Really? You want to dance now because the music changed, not because I’ve been dancing with –”

“Please, _please_ don’t tell me you’re trying to insinuate that I am somehow jealous of some ditzy Twi’lek who is persistently begging for your attention.”

“I’ve seen you glaring at us from the bar for nearly half an hour now. _Persistently._ ”

He hadn’t, really. Kylo wasn’t even sure how much time had passed, let alone how long Hux had been able to see them through the crowd.

“Oh, please! Don’t flatter yourself!” Hux shouted.

He wasn’t helping his case as he glared at Kylo, folding his arms against his chest. Kylo was going to suggest they take this somewhere else besides the middle of the dancefloor when Hux stepped closer, offering his hands. He took them, waiting for Hux to explain.

“I only know the Roomvah,” Hux admitted with an uncharacteristically sheepish look.

“You...what? The _Roomvah?_ Seriously?”

Hux only nodded in response.

Well, that was unexpected. The Roomvah was by no means a simple dance; at least not for one of the participants. If Kylo was remembering correctly, the dance came about as a sort of protest against a particular academy’s restrictive dance policy, which was said to have allowed only the Woss and other ‘clean’ slow dances. Essentially, a female student who was sick of the Woss and her school’s rules came up with a new version of the classic dance that was considerably faster and more sensual. Eventually, word spread and the Roomvah changed over time until it was hardly comparable to the Woss.

It was surprising that Hux knew how to dance at all, but the fact that the one dance he knew was perhaps the most _risqué_ of all mid-tempo dances was as mind-boggling as it was nerve-racking. Kylo had only seen the full thing performed a few times in holodramas when he was younger: he had never seriously tried it himself. As much as he would love to twirl about and put on a show for Hux in his well-fitted attire, he wasn’t confident he could remember the basic steps.

He was contemplating whether he should even try when Hux, without prompt, began to move into the first step of the _active_ role, releasing one of Kylo’s hands and drawing away from him, forcing Kylo to lean forward and extend his arm out, before moving back in and…

Reverently smoothing his hand down his torso, stopping just before his crotch: teasing.

All of his insecurities were blown away by the realization that Hux was the one putting on the show. Hux was the one who had chosen the difficult, sensual role. Hux was the one who had decided, after everything that had happened, that he was alright with performing what was basically a horny teenager’s parody of classical dance with Kylo –in plain view of probably _hundreds_ of people, nonetheless.

Kylo _had_ to know what he was thinking. Most of the passive steps were simple enough, but there were a few complicated ones that the active role was entirely dependent on. If Kylo messed up the timing on those, Hux wouldn’t be able to recover. Focusing on his own movements and reading someone’s mind at the same time wouldn’t be easy, but he had to try.

_Left, right, left two. Arms up. He wasn’t looking but he knew Ren was on his knees behind him, arms held out in front of him. He had no doubts that Kylo would catch him._

Hux’s confidence in him was appreciated, but it wasn’t warranted: Kylo was struggling. He mimicked the second left slide, then dropped to his knees as gracefully as he could, hoping he had estimated the distance correctly. Facing away from him, Hux’s arms went up as he prepared for the overdramatic backbend/trust fall hybrid move. He had just started to fall when Kylo realized they were too far apart.

He caught Hux with the force just before he was meant to catch him with his hands, quickly scooting forward and correcting himself –if Hux had noticed his blunder, he didn’t acknowledge it. He continued as though everything had gone smoothly, reaching up and cradling Kylo’s face before straightening up again.

The dance grew more complicated as time went on, but Kylo was starting to get the hang of it. He realized he no longer needed to read Hux’s mind for hints on what to do next, he only needed to react in time. He eventually reached a state of perfect calm where he no longer needed to focus even on his own movements –they just came naturally.

Hux spun towards him and Kylo caught him in his arms again, hesitating before releasing him as much because he didn’t want to let go as the dance called for it. He didn’t have to wait long before holding Hux again, however, as Hux actually jumped into his arms soon after.

Some would say the _Roomvah_ was all about the push and pull of relationships. If you were to ask someone else, they may say it’s a story about the girl who came up with it playing hard to get. Others would say the entire thing was just a metaphor for sex itself. For Kylo, it was a representation of his relationship with Hux and its development.

He knew he was probably thinking too much into all of this, but he needed a distraction from the way Hux was _literally_ grinding against him lest he embarrass himself by getting too into it. Unfortunately, his thought process could only last so long against the onslaught of physical contact. Reading Hux’s mind as an alternative, however, turned out to be a terrible (wonderful) idea.

Hux wasn’t nearly as skilled at this as he appeared to be. No, it would seem many of his steps weren’t even in the right order or were changed on the spot. He couldn’t even remember the whole thing and yet he knew he appeared like he knew exactly what he was doing –like he was doing well –and for once, it wasn’t because of his cold, analytical mind. It was because of his _enthusiasm,_ because he wanted to do this: not because he needed to, not because he felt he had to. He wanted to do something for himself for once, and that something was getting his revenge on Kylo by teasing him the same way Kylo had been teasing him for the past few weeks.

The revelation that Hux was actually enjoying himself while trying to rile him up was nearly enough to break what little concentration Kylo had left on its own, but then Hux went the extra mile. Instead of throwing his arms around Kylo’s shoulders like the next part of the dance called for, he reached behind him and stroked down the length of his spine…

...before continuing right under his belt and grabbing a handful of his bare ass.

Kylo stumbled, tripping over his own feet and falling backwards. Hux, due to his inability to extricate his hand in time, came with him. Kylo hit the ground and Hux landed on top of him hard enough to punch the air out of his lungs. A few of the couples nearest to them stopped what they were doing to gawk at them and, he could have imagined it, but even the music seemed to have stuttered a bit as he and Hux quickly drew the attention of everyone around them.

Abruptly, Hux started laughing. The people around them gave him a curious look and started whispering amongst themselves, but Hux didn’t seem to notice or care. Kylo found himself laughing too as their onlookers grew bored and returned to their own business.

Kylo just couldn’t help himself. After Hux had calmed down, he leaned up and pecked him on the mouth. He would like to do considerably more than that, but he had learned from his previous mistakes. He wouldn’t push it unless he received a clear invitation.

Hux regarded him curiously for a moment before Kylo realized he was still technically grabbing his ass.

“Um, Hux?” he mumbled.

Hux’s face went red as he too seemed to remember where his hand was.

“Right, sorry. I’ll just...uh.”

Kylo leaned up as much as he could, aiding Hux in his struggle to get his hand out from under him. He stood as Hux did and the two of them stared each other down for a moment, both unsure of what to say.

“Did you –”

“I’m –”

They spoke at the same time. Kylo motioned for Hux to go first but he shook his head.

“Nevermind. Let’s just go back to the room. I’ve worked up quite an appetite –do you think the room service is as good as everything else?”

“I guess we’ll find out.”

 

\---

 

The room service menu, like everything else in this place, was extravagant.

They had everything available in the mess hall, the restaurant they had been to for breakfast that morning, and then some. The menu would even display a full-color hologram of each dish at the simple press of a button. How the hell was he to choose?

Hux seemed to be facing the same dilemma, staring down at his datapad with a frustrated yet focused look and messing with the strap of his tank top. Upon returning to their room, the two of them had changed into their sleeping clothes so as to avoid potentially soiling their expensive party attire. As a result, Kylo was being afforded a rare glimpse of Hux’s shoulders and forearms. Hux had caught him off guard by actually _making a joke_ about it being the first time anyone had ever seen his arms. Kylo had very nearly admitted he had last night, but he caught himself just in time.

Hux was now spending much longer than Kylo was reading each description on the menu, probably checking if they were too strongly seasoned or spicy. Kylo decided to help him out, running a query for the appropriate terms and then having them filtered out until only one dish remained.

The _Alluros Salad._

It didn’t appear to be anything more than an average salad at first, but there was a small symbol next to the title that indicated it was a “House favorite.” The description was short and simple, but enticing nonetheless:

_Sautéed monkroot, sweet gingerlillies, and carrots on a bed of fresh vespi lettuce. Comes with a bottle of our signature Erretia sauce._

“How about we try this?” Kylo asked, holding his datapad out over the short table.

Once again, the two had found themselves sitting on the floor to eat once they realized the dining table had no chairs. Being as low down to the ground as it was, it would appear that was the intended result. Kylo didn’t quite understand it, but Hux didn’t seem to mind so he wasn’t going to complain either.

“Hmm...looks edible. I have no clue what gingerlillies are, but I suppose I could just pick them out if need be.”

“Alright.”

Kylo ordered for them once Hux had returned his datapad. There was no telling how long it would take for the food to arrive considering how many others could be using the service, so Kylo racked his brain for something to fill the silence in the meantime. Unfortunately, there weren’t many options that didn’t hold a strong possibility of making things awkward.

“Do you...not like sweet things?” Kylo asked, feeling quite foolish as he did.

Hux shrugged without looking up from where he was tapping away at his datapad.

“I suppose I like them better than spicy things, at least.”

Kylo grasped for some way to keep the conversation going, but found nothing. If not for work, there really wasn’t much to talk about with Hux. He wanted to ask about what had happened yesterday and about what had happened at the party, but he didn’t know how. He wanted to know more about Hux as much to satisfy his newfound curiosity as to manipulate him more effectively. No matter what he tried, however, Hux remained at a distance that prevented both.

And so, they fell back into a silence that was somehow neither pleasant nor uncomfortable. It just _was._ Hux didn’t look up from his datapad, so Kylo lost himself in this thoughts for a while. He tried to come up with a summary of the celebration for the TAOS group chat, as they would certainly be wondering why he had not responded in three days. He had hopes that they would be able to help him analyze what had happened and plan his next move.

Abruptly, Hux startled Kylo by dropping his datapad onto the table. He raised an eyebrow at Kylo as he stood before heading off in the general direction of the fresher. Almost as soon as he was out of sight, Kylo received a notification that their food had arrived. He tapped the button that would give their server permission to enter.

“Good evening, sir! Here are your two Alluros Salads,” said the man as he placed both plates and a couple pairs of silverware on the table.

“Thank you.”

“Oh! Before I forget…”

The man pulled two medium-sized bottles out of his satchel before setting those on the table as well.

“This meal is quite popular with new couples,” he said. “But I must warn you: go easy on the sauce. It’s quite powerful!”

Kylo didn’t know what that meant, but he didn’t care to ask. The food smelled amazing and he was sure he would determine how much sauce was enough once he tried it. He was just examining the strange artwork on the front of the bottle when Hux returned.

“Oh, when did the food get here?”

“Just now. The server said to go easy on the sauce, so take that as you will.”

Kylo tried a bite of what he assumed was the Monkroot first while unscrewing the cap off of the sauce and pouring a bit onto his salad with the force.

“That’s handy,” Hux said as he watched.

“Mmm.”

 _Of course_ it was delicious! Forget the expensive, imported meats and spicy noodles: the best thing Kylo had ever tasted was no more than a Sautéed tuber. After everything he had experienced in the past few days, Kylo was very tempted to look into the prospect of buying a vacation home on Vespull somewhere down the road.

“This sauce is...wow.”

Kylo looked up as Hux spoke, barely managing to contain his laughter at the face the other man was making.

“That good, huh?”

Instead of answering, Hux reached for the bottle and dumped a considerable amount onto his salad. If that wasn’t a testament to the taste of it, Kylo didn’t know what was. He speared a bit of Monkroot that was drizzled in it, popping it into his mouth.

Hux’s reaction was entirely warranted.

Kylo couldn’t begin to imagine why anyone would feel they needed to use the sauce sparingly, except perhaps to make it last longer. Hux certainly wasn’t thinking about the long run as he shovelled his food into his mouth, occasionally stopping to pour a bit of sauce over an individual bite. The sauce was exceptional, but Kylo would prefer to be able to taste all the ingredients. When it appeared that Hux was already close to running out, Kylo gladly offered him what remained of his own bottle.

“Can’t believe they only give you one bottle. No, actually, I can. This stuff is so good I have half the mind to buy a couple hundred bottles before we leave,” Hux said.

“I wouldn’t complain –I don’t think I love the sauce as much as you, but I would love to have more later without needing to come all the way out here.”

“Yush,” Hux slurred, talking with his mouth full.

It was actually quite nice to see Hux enjoying himself again. Like his bizarre reaction to the song from the play yesterday, it was proof that he was human. Hux may have seemed nothing but cold and calculating on the outside, but even he had the capability to feel something other than anger or annoyance. Sitting cross-legged on the floor with his hair a mess and his face flushed…

Wait. Why was he so red?

Kylo dropped his fork for a minute as he looked at Hux more closely. His entire face had gone beet-red and his neck and shoulders seemed to be reddening as well. Not only that, but there were a few beads of sweat on his forehead. As he kept staring at him, trying to figure out what was going on, Kylo began to feel his own face heat up.

Suddenly, he began to panic.

Had they been poisoned? No, that didn’t make any sense. The Vespulli had nothing to gain from killing them. Perhaps they were both allergic to gingerlillies and didn’t know it, or…

He noticed then that Hux was staring back at him, pupils blown so wide it almost looked as if his eyes were black.

“What have you done?” Hux asked, sounding strangely out of breath. “You’re…”

“I haven’t,” Kylo began to say, pausing as he too was somehow out of breath. “I haven’t done anything.”

Kylo was beginning to feel very, _very_ hot –so much that he was tempted to take his shirt off. Hux seemed to feel the same as he gripped the bottom of his tank top and pulled it up to wipe his forehead. The sight of his stomach –almost as red as his face– set Kylo on fire in a very different way. Now he was just as uncomfortable in his thin sweatpants as he was his undershirt. Without thinking, he reached down and adjusted himself.

Hux abruptly shot to his feet. He looked angry, standing there with his hands balled up into fists at his side. Kylo remembered that his hand was still in his pants and tried to remove it nonchalantly but, unfortunately, Hux’s eyes tracked the motion.

“...going to kill you,” Hux hissed under his breath.

Before Kylo could react, Hux had already clambered over the table and pinned him to the ground. Hux seemed to be making good on his promise as his hands went straight to Kylo’s throat, squeezing hard.

Kylo wasn’t afraid, of course, but he recognized that he should have been at least a little angry. Whatever was happening to them seemed to be affecting his rationality as much as his body. Instead of fighting back, he reached down the front of Hux’s pants while he was... _distracted_ , and grabbed his cock.

Hux flinched hard, his grip growing slack as he allowed Kylo to stroke him. Kylo leaned forward and nuzzled against the side of Hux’s face, using his free hand to cup the back of his neck. Hux sighed quietly and closed his eyes, seemingly giving up on his most uncoordinated assassination attempt so far as he released Kylo’s throat entirely.

Kylo inhaled deeply, as much a result of his need to breathe as his sudden need to take in as much of Hux’s scent as possible. It was nothing short of heavenly –sweet as a red Marron flower but with just a hint of sweat and something else. He flicked his tongue out to taste him; in the back of his mind he knew it was silly, but he wanted to know if Hux’s skin was as sweet as his scent.

There was a sharp intake of breath –which one of them it came from, Kylo didn’t know –as Hux shuddered at the contact, then leaned his head back to bare his own throat. It was as much of an invitation Kylo figured he would ever get.

He trailed his lips down Hux’s neck first, peppering it with gentle kisses as he had just a few days prior. Unlike last time, he was interrupted when Hux shifted above him, flinching after he accidentally kicked the table behind him as he tried to adjust his position. Kylo released his cock in favor of thrusting both arms out and sending the offending table hurtling across the room. Hux didn’t so much as flinch as the table crashed against the floor, too focused on his attempts at merging the two of them together.

“Hux,” Kylo started to say, but the other man’s fingers came up to press against his mouth, silencing him.

“This doesn’t. Change. This doesn’t change anything,” Hux rasped as he prodded at Kylo’s lips until they parted.

Kylo opened for him, moaning softly as his fingers slid in and back out, incapable of focusing properly on what Hux had just said. He sucked on them for a moment when they slid back in, ultimately uncaring of what Hux thought of the action. Gods, how he wished he were sucking his cock instead! As if to torture him, Hux groaned and shifted his lower body against his.

Then he did it again. And again.

Hux kept doing it until it started to hurt. Without his brain’s permission, both of Kylo’s hands shot out and grabbed the front of Hux’s shirt, pulling in opposite directions until the fabric tore right down the middle. The last sane part of his mind chided him for the unnecessary damage, but it was fighting a losing battle.

Everything faded out until it was just Hux: his scent, his taste, his skin. Kylo felt like he was floating, like his senses were heightened and focused only on Hux. He basked in it for a while, committing everything he felt to memory. He would have been content to stay like that forever, but, eventually, he could feel himself slipping. Kylo tried desperately to hold on, but he was powerless as Hux too faded away until there was nothing.

 

\---

 

Kylo woke up with a pounding headache, drenched in his own sweat. He sat up slowly, realizing immediately that he was not where he should be: instead of the couch, he was sitting on the edge of the bed. He looked around the bedroom to confirm that his mind wasn’t playing tricks on him, noticing that Hux’s suitcase was missing. He leaned over and felt the other side of the bed: still warm.

Hux had definitely been there earlier, so where was he now? Why had he suddenly decided to share the bed?

Most importantly: why was he naked?

Kylo decided he would have to find answers later. At the moment, a cold shower seemed much more important. He swung his legs off the side of the bed, only for his left foot to be met with something disgustingly cold and wet. He instinctively jerked his leg back, wiping his foot off on the sheets.

Upon peering over the side of the bed, he noticed there was an empty bottle from which the puddle he stepped in must have come. He pulled it towards him, leaving it suspended in the air a safe distance away from him.

Lubricant.

Kylo suddenly felt like vomiting. Now that his senses were finally coming back to him, it was obvious what had occurred. Still, he didn’t want to believe it. If something like _that_ had happened, surely he would remember, right?

Surely he would remember _Hux digging his fingernails into his back, dragging them down the length of his spine as he begged for Kylo to go harder, faster –_

Kylo ran to the fresher, punching the button repeatedly until the door opened enough for him to squeeze past, then punching the button inside to close and lock it. He moved slowly towards the mirror without facing it, squeezing his eyes shut as he grew closer before turning towards it.

It was a dream, he told himself. It was _still_ a dream. He was going to wake up soon, and when he opened his eyes he would be on the couch and everything would be fine. They ordered drinks after dinner yesterday, had a little too much. Yes, that was why he couldn’t remember anything. There were no marks on his back.

Kylo opened his eyes.

He didn’t know about his back yet, but there were plenty of marks on his front: shallow cuts on his abdomen, bruises on his chest, _bite marks_ on his neck and shoulders. He closed his eyes again, silently reminding himself that it was just a dream. He focused on slowing his breathing for a moment before opening his eyes again and checking his back.

He counted no less than eight angry red scratches.

“Okay, just. Calm down. Act natural. Take a shower and find Hux,” he said to himself.

He did as he said, trying his best not to dwell on the fact that he had just lost his virginity without even remembering how. The cool, refreshing water from the shower helped to calm his nerves. He had just about gotten over it when he realized why Hux may have disappeared.

Kylo cursed, quickly shutting the water off and stepping out of the shower as soon as he had rinsed most of the soap off. He grabbed the nearest fluffy towel and tied it around his waist before exiting the fresher and speed-walking to the living area where, conveniently, Hux had just returned.

Kylo slowed to a stop as soon as he noticed him rummaging through the mess on the floor –the one that he must have made when he threw the table last night. He swallowed nervously as he prepared for the worst.

“Hux…”

At the sound of Kylo’s voice, Hux dropped his datapad back into the mess from which he had retrieved it, stumbling backwards until he hit the wall like Kylo was some savage beast from which he had no chance of defending himself. At the moment, Kylo kind of felt like one.

He didn’t know what to say. He wanted to apologize, but he knew it would fall on deaf ears. His eyes began to sting so he hung his head, hoping Hux wouldn’t be able to see if he started crying. After a minute or so, he heard hux moving again.

Just as he saw the other man’s boots step into his field of view, Hux backhanded him so hard it snapped his head to the side, the sound of it echoing throughout the small room. Before he could recover, Hux hit him again with a bit less force. He was going to do it a third time but Kylo grabbed his wrist, holding it in place.

“Stop it!”

“Fuck you!”

“Yes, you did. And what of it?” Kylo bit back, immediately regretting it.

“Unbelievable. You’re...you’re…” Hux stumbled over his words. “I was going to...there was no reason for that, for what you did.”

Eyes red and watering, he stepped back as far as he could with Kylo still holding his wrist. He bent over at the waist, covering his mouth with his other hand as he sobbed. Something inside Kylo shattered at the sound, and he too began to cry.

“Fuck! Hux, I’m...I’m so sorry!” he said, “But I swear I didn’t do anything! I don’t even remember what happened after…” he glanced over at the upside-down table underneath all the mess, “...the table. Please, Hux –you’ve got to believe me! I’m just as confused as you are...”

Hux looked up at him through his eyelashes, but didn’t say anything. Growing desperate, Kylo did a quick search of his thoughts, pushing through the obvious doubt on the surface to pinpoint what exactly was making Hux so distraught.

He thought Kylo had _planned_ this –that he had dosed Hux’s food with something that made him desperate for Kylo’s touch, something that made him open his legs for him and then forget most of it afterwards. He may not have even realized what had happened if not for the bruises and the way his thighs had stuck together.

“Hux, I didn’t plan this. I didn’t do anything to your food.”

Hux’s head snapped back up.

“Then wh–”

“I think we did this to ourselves,” Kylo interrupted. “Still, it’s mostly my fault. I ordered the salads because they were the only thing on the menu I could find that I thought you could eat. I didn’t know they would –wait.”

Kylo reached out towards the table, pulling one of the broken bottles out. He brought it slowly towards himself, keeping the sharp edges facing away from him. Right there, on the back of the bottle, was a bright red label at least one of them should have fucking noticed:

_Warning: this product may have adverse side effects if consumed in greater quantities than the recommended serving size. Consult a physician immediately if effects last longer than four hours._

Below the warning label were the nutrition facts, serving size (much smaller than expected), and ingredients –a couple of which Kylo knew to be aphrodisiacs.

“It was the fucking sauce,” he said. “The server warned me about the sauce but I didn’t listen. I thought he was talking about the flavor or something, not... _that._ ”

Hux sniffled as he squinted at the back of the bottle. Upon reading it, he gave a huge sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose.

“How did this happen? Between the both of us, we should have...I don’t know! I refuse to believe this couldn’t have easily been avoided. Why the hell didn’t you ask the server what he meant? Why the hell didn’t I read the bottle before trying it?” Hux looked at the wrist Kylo held. “Why the hell are you still holding onto me?”

“Oh, sorry.” Kylo apologized, releasing him.

“You should get dressed. Our transport has been waiting for some time now.”

That couldn’t be –he had just woken up! Kylo checked the chrono on the wall behind Hux: not even 9:00 AM yet. They weren’t meant to leave for at least another hour or so. Hux cleared his throat and then Kylo remembered the missing suitcase and connected the dots.

“You were going to leave without me.”

“After that? Yes,” Hux said, pointedly avoiding his gaze. “Yes, I was.”

Kylo wasn’t sure what to say to that, so he retrieved his clothes and got dressed before packing everything up and following Hux out. On their way down to the first floor, he told himself it was him ignoring Hux, not the other way around as per usual. Surprisingly, he was just about proved right when Hux was the one to interrupt the silence.

“You know…” he hesitated, side-eyeing Kylo before continuing, “That was, um. That was my first time.”

Why was he admitting this now? No, why was he admitting this _at all_?

The longer Kylo went without responding, the more uncomfortable Hux seemed to become. He shifted his weight from one foot to the other, started fiddling with his gloves, and kept glancing over at him every few seconds. It was _impossible_ to ignore.

“Mine as well,” Kylo admitted.

“Truly?”

“Yes. Made it difficult to imagine doing this to myself on purpose.”

“I didn’t know…” Hux mumbled.

“Doesn’t matter,” Kylo said, stepping out of the elevator. “Neither of us remembers what happened exactly, so we may as well act like it never did.”

“Well. I suppose that makes sense...”

They fell back into an awkward silence then. Kylo heard someone wishing him safe travels but didn’t acknowledge them, too busy daydreaming about an alternate timeline where he had sex with Hux and remembering everything in perfect detail, where he knew for certain that Hux no longer wanted to kill him and everyone respected him.

Sure enough, the same transport (and their troopers) was waiting for them out front. Kylo eagerly climbed inside, settling on the same seat he had last time. Instead of sitting across from him again, Hux surprised him by choosing the seat directly beside him. He pulled out his datapad and began reading what appeared to be the new trade agreement as he leaned up against Kylo like it was nothing.

Afraid he would ruin the moment if he did, Kylo didn’t react. He simply read and re-read the few lines of text he could read on Hux’s datapad from his position. Not long after the transport began moving, however, Hux switched his datapad off and shifted away.

Before Kylo had time to be disappointed, he lay his head down in Kylo’s lap, stretching his legs out across the rest of the seats.

“What –”

“Shut up, Ren. I’m trying to sleep.”

“Yes, but. Why this? Are you –” Kylo began to ask.

“You’ll have your answer when we get back to the _Finalizer_. Now, _please_ be quiet! I could hardly sleep last night. I’m sure you know why.”

“Yes...of course.”

Kylo was actually quite tired himself. He may have been able to sleep on the way back to the landing site if it weren’t for the way Hux was doing...whatever it was he was doing. Instead, he ended up messing with Hux’s hair in an attempt to distract himself from getting too hopeful –of what, he wasn’t entirely sure. He had to wake Hux up once they reached their ship of course, so Kylo tried again in vain to get Hux to explain his actions then.

It seemed he really was going to make him wait seven hours.

That time passed by excruciatingly slow. Hux got angry whenever Kylo said anything, so basic conversation was out of the picture. Thankfully, a droid brought their food out about two hours in and Kylo managed to fall asleep soon afterwards. He slept through the rest of the trip back to the _Finalizer_ , dreaming of that alternate timeline he had come up with earlier.

Kylo had half expected him to run once they arrived, but Hux was actually the one to wake him up. He was going to ask him then, in front of all the troopers, but Hux gave him a piercing glare which killed the words in his throat. Hux ordered the troopers away as they walked down the ramp, turning to face him once they were at the bottom. Kylo took it as an invitation.

“Are you accepting my proposal?”

Hux sighed.

“You really couldn’t wait more than three seconds, could you?”

Kylo swallowed nervously. If it were him, he would tell himself to fuck off. He expected Hux to say something similar after how badly he had fucked up, but Hux’s recent actions had given him hope.

Hux turned to look behind him, searching for something. Kylo was about to ask what for when Hux grabbed him by the hand and pulled him under the left wing of the shuttle. He let go of Kylo’s hand in favor of shoving him up against the side of it, catching him completely off guard by leaning in and kissing him.

This kiss was entirely unlike the others: full of heat and unrestrained desire and, for once, Hux was actively participating. Eagerly, even, if the sounds he made when Kylo started using his tongue were any indication. After quite some time, Hux pulled back just a little.

“Yes,” he whispered against Kylo’s lips before leaning in for another kiss.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A big congratulatory round of applause from me and my stuffed Kylo Ren dolls for everyone who managed to read through this thing in one sitting lol
> 
> *****Warning Explanations:  
> Because they're both idiots with other things on their minds, Kylo and Hux ignore the warnings and use way too much of an aphrodisiac, completely unaware of its status as such. As a result, they end up forgetting nearly all of what happens later that night (insert timeskip here) and wake up to realize that they had unknowingly given up their virginity. Queue both of them misunderstanding what exactly happened and rightfully panicking/fighting over it before realizing they're both equally at fault and reconciling. 
> 
> Again, I post art and updates for my fics on my [Tumblr](https://ninpotato.tumblr.com/) and _occasionally_ nsfw art to my [Twitter](https://twitter.com/NinPotato1) so check those if I'm taking forever to get something out again (I most certainly will be...)


End file.
